Today we’d like to introduce you to Benja.
Hi Benja, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a musician based in New York, and originally from Chile. I started music when I was 10 year old, taking private guitar lessons, and playing with my brothers and friends. By the time I was 13, I started learning from Chilean musician Danny Rodríguez, who taught me how to play folk, Andean and Latin American music, learning how to play charango, guitar, mandolin, pan-flutes and other Andean flutes, and percussion.
After that, I developed a whole musical career in Chile, as a bandleader of my own bands, performing with other bands, winning awards, and touring across the whole country. I graduated with a Bachelor of Music, with a major in Composition and Arrangements at ARCIS University.
By the time I was 28, I decided to study a master’s degree in jazz abroad. I did my first semester at Howard University in Washington DC, and then I transferred to NYU in New York, where I graduated in 2019. Later on, I released my album The Joy of Playing, which features original compositions inspired by Latin American and Andean music, jazz, and contemporary languages, written for nonet and quartet, and includes saxophonist Dave Pietro alongside a Grammy- winning production team. I’ve continued to develop my musical career in the US, as the bandleader of my band solo project Benja Schnake, bandleader of Nostalgia playing classic and original boleros, and I’ve collaborated with many bands and musicians, performing throughout the United States, including Carnegie Hall (2023) with Trio Caliente and guitarist Michael Bard.
I’ve also been active educator since 2012 in Chile. I worked as an adjunct instructor at NYU during my master’s degree, and I currently maintain an active educational practice as an instructor at Sage Music, through my private studio, and in music schools and community-based workshops, sharing my knowledge, tradition, and deep love for Latin American music.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think music is a smooth road for any musician. It’s a beautiful journey and discovery of yourself, but on a road with many curves. This could be true for many professions. In the case of music, you have to invent that work for yourself. It’s not like being on a 9 to 5 job, like in a more traditional career or profession, where there’s a clear path to follow. You study, you graduate, you find a company to work in, you work your way up. Here, you have to create that path for yourself, playing with different bands, figuring out how to run your own bands, trying to find places, shows, festivals to play in, and going through many different experiences, especially as an independent artist. Also, music is difficult! You’ll have to keep practicing always, if you want to continue to get better. It’s like a game with endless levels of difficulty. I think all of this makes it beautiful, and challenging at the same time. I have to say, despite the struggles, you realize that all good things will come to you eventually, if you keep putting all the passion, effort, and love to your craft.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a pretty versatile musician and composer, and thankfully I’ve had the experience of learning and playing many different styles and genres. Eventually, it’s all music! I can find myself following my goose bumps with a lot of music.
However, some of my biggest loves are folk, Andean and Latin American music. It makes me feel such a strong connection to my land, to my roots. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to play in carnivals and traditional celebrations in the north of Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. And it always bring me back to my brothers. We have a band called Huari, and we’ve played this music since we were kids. That’s something so unique and special in my life.
At the same time, I love fusion. I’ve played many years with Los Sayas, along my mentor and bandleader Danny Rodríguez, who taught me to love all music, from folk like Illapu, to Toto and Christopher Cross. Pretty wide range!
My band Nostalgia has given me a beautiful gift: to perform classic and original boleros in the New York local music scene.
And then, jazz! I love harmony, exploring new things with music, new sounds, and to combine them with different influences. I’m very happy with my album The Joy of Playing, and I’m writing new music for future albums, from songs about life, love, and reflections of the state of the world we live in, to instrumentals for jazz orchestra.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Don’t ever give up! Follow your ideas, follow your dreams and what you love, and make it happen. And remember, good things will take time. We’re living in a world that has conditioned us to get things so fast, immediately. True things, deep things, will take a lot of time. And that’s ok, as long as you have a pursuit that is just and worthy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://benjaschnake.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjaschnake/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.schnakegalvez/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uop8dX-4VSU
- Other: https://benjaschnake.bandcamp.com/album/the-joy-of-playing
Image Credits
May Meng
Pedro Aceituno
