Meet Benjamin Walker

What is your first music memory? 

My first musical memory would be when I was about 4 years old. I used to stand up next to my father while he led the congregation in music, and I’d pretend to play a little wooden guitar I had as I danced around the stage.

When did you first learn an instrument? 

At 5 years old, I started trumpet lessons. I grew up in a big brass family, so it was tradition that when you started primary school, you also started your first instrument. At the time I wasn’t 100% on board with the idea but I’m grateful for it today. 

What drove you to practice and play when you first started out?

I was lucky enough to have a very supportive family that drove me to practice my craft. When I started to branch out musically by myself, I think a switch occurred. I had to start finding reasons to keep developing musically. I found that listening to music really inspired me to keep getting better because I wanted to one day be able to play anything I wanted. I also made sure to focus on the elements of music that I really enjoyed/found interesting. I realised quickly that the more interested I became, the more questions I had and the more practice and exploration I had to do. 

Are you still excited about developing your craft? 

I have never been more excited about music nor my craft than I am now. I truly believe that if the passion and interest is real, then you’ll never be satisfied or content with your skills or knowledge. You’ll always want to learn and do more because it’s what you love. 

When did you first start teaching?

I first got involved in teaching while I was at high school. I started helping teach the juniors in the concert band and jazz band. Mainly the horn section, bass and drummers. That’s when I really realised how awesome it is to share the beautiful art of music with people. From there, after high school I had a pretty solid idea that I’d love to be a music teacher. 

What is your advice for people learning music?

Never let anybody tell you what kind of musician you should be. Music is bigger than any single person can understand entirely. So when you’re starting to discover and learn Music, just remember that there’s no “right” way to do it. Sure it helps to do and learn certain things a lot, but at the end of the day, we are all still learning together and we should be there to build each other up.