Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Fuller.
Ben, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
After graduating from Emerson College in 2004, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. While my focus was on chasing the acting dream, I’d always kept my love and passion for music close by. I’m a self-prescribed karaoke junkie, to be clear. Additionally, during my time at Emerson, I co-founded an a cappella group, Noteworthy, which I’m proud to say is still thriving 22 years later. I’ve always held a day job, working in TV and live-event production rentals, and worked on passion projects in my own time. I spent 10 years creating with the Brimmer Street Theatre Company here in Los Angeles and shot web series and short films to keep my creative itch scratched.
Fast forward to 2022, when I met Batu Sener. As an established Film and TV composer with a thriving career, he’d mentioned to me one day how he had always wanted to record a piano/vocal album but never had a vocalist with whom to work. Of course, I jumped at the thought. It felt a bit like a dream come true – recording a studio album is a sentence I never thought I’d be saying out loud. After spending weekend hours at 5 Cat Studios, where Batu does his composing by day, we put together the 8-track album in about 12 weeks. It’s been a wild and fun ride, to say the least.
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?
Pursuing a career in performance-based industries is never a smooth road, I don’t think. Unless you’re born into it? Even then, it takes a lot of guts and emotional preparedness to put yourself out there, with the constant possibility of criticism and judgment waiting in the wings. And for the lot of us, most times, our worst critics are ourselves. We aim for such perfection and scoff at the process and product with enough doubt and occasional vitriol to sink a ship. If it’s not clear by now, my biggest obstacle in my own creative pursuits has been me.
Another huge challenge in the entertainment industry is finding your “in.” You can strap a guitar to your back and drag a small PA system out to the 3rd Street Promenade and sing like your life depended on it, and maybe you’ll make $100 in a few hours, but what after that? Where do you take it next, and how do you get there?
Additionally, you’ve got to keep a roof over your head and put food on the table, so you hustle at a 9-5 to earn a stable income. Hopefully, you have the energy at the end of the day to put time into developing your creative self and passions.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
First and foremost, I’m a singer. Music has been in my bones since I was a child. I’m a bit of a human jukebox. If I’m mid-conversation with someone (or overhear something from a conversation I’m not even a part of) and something is uttered that reminds me of a song lyric, I will sing it, most times AT that person. There have been countless times folks have asked me, “Is there a song you DON’T know?” It’s that out of control…
Our album ‘Reset’ has been an opportunity for me to put my stamp on some real gems from the Great American Songbook. What was most rewarding about performing the songs we selected was needing to go back to the roots and fundamentals of vocal performance. I couldn’t riff my way out of these standards, and I wasn’t going to try. I wanted to pay homage to their beautiful and haunting melodies and lyrics and inject my own emotionality into them.
I think what sets me apart from others is my versatility. At karaoke, you’ll catch me belting 90’s R&B jams from the likes of Jodeci and Boyz II Men, while at a wedding, I’ll sing Ave Maria while the bride and groom walk down the aisle. I guess I’m kind of a vocal chameleon in that way.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
This album wouldn’t have been possible without Batu Sener. He’s a musical genius. The way he sculpted these arrangements, not only with their gorgeous melodies and orchestration but with their emotionally wrought tempos, gives the tracks a feeling of breathing, of being alive. He was also a wonderfully attentive collaborator. He took a first-time recording artist and nurtured him through the performances. He was extremely open to changes and adjustments if I thought something in the arrangement wasn’t working. Upon completion, he spent hours mixing and mastering along with John Michael Caldwell and others at 5 Cat Studios to polish it up. He’s worked tirelessly behind the scenes to promote as well, lending his creative touch to every social media post we’ve uploaded since we started the rollout. He deserves more credit than he’s willing to accept, though. He’s that kind of a guy.
I also owe credit to my parents, Ed and Maureen Fuller. They have supported me in my artistic endeavors since I told them at 17 that I wanted to go to Emerson College and get a degree in theater studies. Eddie was in a band and Moe sang in church when they were kids, so my musical ear is due largely to them as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: ffm.to/benfuller-reset
- Instagram: instagram.com/fuller_benjamin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZy7Iim63fhnLmxk53ogWgA
