Daily Inspiration: Meet Chè Benjamin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chè Benjamin.

Hi Chè, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Music has always been a core part of me. The role of music in my life is constantly, organically evolving. I grew up as a musician, and although I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up, I knew I needed music as a core part of my life. I started off with singing, my first memory was performing Destiny’s Child song at daycare with my best friend. Then came piano and then came the alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones from middle school going into high school. But for the majority of my high school experience and going into college, tennis was the primary focus and music started taking a backseat. I was so consumed by the sport, it was all I could think about and when I find a passion, I have to experience and learn about it in all aspects. I went to Drexel University in Philadelphia with the intention to major in Sports Management and ultimately go on to be a sports agent for professional tennis players. But as I progressed in college, the flame of my desire for music started burning brighter and brighter, to the point where it was eclipsing my plan of pursuing sports management. I had to have more honest conversations with myself about what I want and how to best navigate that while in school.

As my desire to create grew, I started questioning my fulfillment in school. I was being pulled into two different directions. I wanted to be immersed in music. Listening to artists talking about their creative process, their passion, their genius was inspiring and infectious. I wanted to dig deeper into myself and challenge my own creative abilities by expanding them into songwriting and creating something of my own that’s original. Part of coming into who I am has involved falling deeper into my mind to have a clearer picture of how I can actualize my passions in the best way possible. I decided the best decision was to combine my re-emerging love for music into my education. I fully switched my major from Sport Management to Entertainment & Arts Management and I loved it. Classes about Copyrights & Trademarks and Artist Representation & Management inspired me to work with my parents to create Quentin Zephyr, LLC, a company focused on business development in the music and sports industries. I was starting to feel that long sought-after feeling of fulfillment. I got my first confirmation of that fulfillment when I was working on my senior project. A two-fold exploration into being on both sides of the industry, as the artist and business professional. I worked with two incredible artists, JimiJames and Wow Jones as a project manager, as well as developed and implemented a marketing plan for the release of my first ever music project, “Summer Dreams – EP”.

After graduating, I moved back home to Oakland and was looking to submerge myself within the Bay Area music landscape. I worked several different jobs before taking on the position I have now. I would work as a receptionist at a real estate company, work open houses, walk dogs, work part-time as an intern at, and work part-time as a social media manager at HUSHconcerts, an incredible silent disco company based in San Francisco. I kept wondering when I would finally get my break, but I would have to say a combination of divine timing, preparation, and open-mindedness allowed me to be where I am today. Now I’m able to enjoy working as the Copyright & Royalty Manager at A Train Entertainment as well as make my own music and work on ventures for Quentin Zephyr LLC.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey to where I am now has definitely not been easy. Once I graduated, people were constantly asking me “what are you going to do next?”. And to be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure. I knew I wanted to go back to the Bay Area and work in the music industry but which part of it? Despite the constant self-reflection, I still wasn’t sure yet and being rejected by companies didn’t exactly help. But I found solace in the fact that each person’s path and journey is their own and rarely is it ever smooth and/or straight. There is no right or wrong way. And it’s not so easy to view it like that when you’re first starting out. I was also facing a deadline of having to find a full-time job before my parents moved out of state. I had to come up with something and I had my mindset on a job within the music industry.

I’ve also had internal struggles where moments of anxiety and self-sabotage appeared but I don’t think that’s uncommon when it stems from something you care deeply about. The most important thing is to not live in that moment and make it a lifetime. It’s scary when you reach crucial points in your life. For me, it feels like I’m at a fork in the road or on the edge of a cliff. I had one foot in and one foot out, scared of what I think will or won’t happen so there were times where my commitment wavered so as to lessen potential heartbreak. And it felt like I had to have the same conversation with myself that I couldn’t just keep living in my head. The most important thing is to take action. You can’t get anywhere by just thinking, you have to act. But it was tough trying to have this type of perspective when you’re living it in real-time and haven’t landed a full-time job yet. My concept of time has been altered not only by growing up but also by the fact that we live in such a society where things can be gratified so quickly. It was tough to realize and accept that some things are out of my control.

But I kept persevering and believing that if I take advantage of the opportunities presented to me, more will come. I applied three times to A Train Entertainment. And as a company with almost 40 years of experience in the music industry, I kept feeling I had to work there. Deep down, I didn’t see it any other way. After my third application there with no response, I got an email saying that the position had been filled. I was dejected but I asked them to please let me know if any positions open up. It was then that they reached back out to me to see if I was still interested. I thought, “if I take my opportunities, more will come”. So I said yes, and after interning and working part-time there for about a year, I was offered the position I currently hold now, on my 23rd Birthday. I am so grateful for every job I worked and experience gained that led me to that position because they’ve helped me further believe in myself and the goals I have for the future.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an artist and businessman. My ear for music, eye for talent, and ability to adapt definitely set me apart. Everyone’s perspective is unique and I think I’ve been able to broaden and refine mine through my experience and knowledge gained from being on both sides of the industry. I’ve developed so much empathy from being an artist that it informs my decisions on the business side and allows me to connect with other artists and clients on a deeper level. Conversely, my experience on the business side of the industry has impacted how I navigate as an artist as I have strengthened my ability to step outside of my own perspective and examine an issue from various angles before making a crucial decision.

I’m so proud of my time working with JimiJames and Wow Jones during my senior year in college. I’m grateful for them giving me my first opportunity in the industry, trusting in me, my ideas and my ability to get things done. I remember having this “aha” moment when I went with Jimi to go see Wow perform on stage with Bryson Tiller as his tour director. To see the dividends of all the hard work everyone put in was when I knew there was no place I would rather be.

I’m also really proud of my ability to balance working as an artist and as a Copyright & Royalty Manager. I feel like I’m exercising both sides of my brain. At A-Train, I focus primarily on facilitating requests to use our client’s compositions, accounting for artists, and royalty management. And as an artist, I’ve been working on my forthcoming EP “Until We Meet Again,” a project slated to be released this July that examines the various facets of romance in the summertime. It’s been such a reflective, cathartic process I cannot wait to share it with the world.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I always look forward to reading the newsletter from MorningCoffee.com. It provides me with weekly updates on the latest news within the music industry. Visiting other notable music publications like The Fader, Complex, and Pitchfork are a great way to stay updated as well. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and The Defining Decade by Meg Jay, PhD, have provided me with some eye-opening yet comforting words and advice as well as helped me reach my own conclusions through self-reflection.

I also think it’s important to just let your mind wander consciously and find other things you are interested in and also just learning about a bunch of other random topics. I love reading encyclopedias about animals and comic book characters from DC and Marvel. It’s also pretty easy for me to get caught up on YouTube. I love watching videos about natural history, skincare, album & film retrospections, true crime, and legal cases in the entertainment industry.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theofficialche/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOfficialChe/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheOfficialChe
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/che-official
• Other: https://ampl.ink/3exD2

Image Credits:
James Gebilaguin Daquan Harris Darrell Jackson Karlya Shelton-Benjamin