The Pied Piper of Truckee Ben Jammin’
Posted on January 3, 2010
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Catch Me if You Can: Keeping pace with Truckee’s Ben Jammin’
by Jackie Varriano, Moonshine Ink
Truckee local Ben “Jammin’” Martin gets around. You might know him as a guitar player in the duo After Eights, maybe you used to sing with him at open mic night at Trio Wine Bar, or play with him now at open mic at the Fat Cat in Tahoe City. Maybe you have taken a ukulele lesson with him, or have a child that takes guitar lessons from him.
This article is a reprint from the December-January edition of Moonshine Ink, the Independent News Source for Truckee and North Lake Tahoe.
Ben might even be your long-distance phone service carrier. Whatever the capacity in which you may know Martin, this master of multitasking has new digs in which to organize his schedule and mold minds young and old about all things with strings.
Martin has been a lifelong music lover, but until he was 15 the idea of playing music didn’t even occur to him. He owes his guitar playing prowess all to his potter mother. “Even though I loved music, it never occurred to me to play. My mom was going to the local art center, and said they had a class,” Martin says. “She had a guitar, I took the class and I’ve never stopped playing.”
Martin moved to the area from the East Coast around 30 years ago. He studied music at Sierra Nevada College and co-founded Rubicon Technologies. While he still operates an information hotline at 530-546-LAKE and offers long-distance telephone service, Martin decided to sell a major portion of the business a few years ago, and is now able to concentrate on music full time.
I pinned down the busy music man on a sunny afternoon in his new studio space, located just behind the Tahoe Forest Hospice Gift & Thrift Shop in Truckee on Meadow Way. Martin shares the area with an acupuncturist and a physical therapy practitioner; a tranquil place of peace punctuated with twangs from student’s fingers. Not known for my grace, I opt out of sitting on one of the exercise balls Martin has in place for students. He finds the balls help students focus a bit better, and can be more comfortable that sitting in an upright chair with a guitar on your lap.
“Sometimes you’ve got big guitars with small kids in a chair; it’s like they’re fighting a bear,” says Martin.
Kept busy this fall with 35 students, Martin teaches all ages, from kids in kindergarten to adults in their 60s. With that age range, he finds pros and cons to both.
“Adults have an easier time focusing, and are more likely to practice,” he says, “while kids are like a sponge and you can really see on their face how excited they are when something clicks.”
Martin has a few philosophies when it comes to teaching. A prime one is the belief that everyone can learn, and it’s his job to figure out what makes sense to them.
“Because [music] is invisible, you have to approach it differently,” he says. “Some people go by ear, and the notes on the page mean nothing to them. Others are visual, and it’s once you get to know them and figure out how they understand music, you can teach them.”
Another philosophy Martin has centers around teaching students to play with others. “You don’t have to play the same as someone else, everyone has different experience, but it’s getting a student to be able to play with others and seeing how different levels fit together that is important,” he says.
If teaching was the only thing on his plate, Martin would be busy. He worked with Truckee Elementary PTO this fall teaching first and second graders the ukulele – a special deal worked out with Jason Hall (a parent of one of the students who operated a ukulele website) helped kids buy ukuleles for a mere $50 each – and fourth and fifth graders the guitar. The PTO has eight guitars available at no cost to students looking to learn. He also gives lessons to kids and adults once a week. On top of that, Martin offers five week group lessons to both beginners and those with playing experience already under their belt.
Aside from lessons, Martin fills his schedule with hosting open mic night at the Fat Cat Café on Tuesdays with his girlfriend, Elisa DiNallo. At one point, the duo had five open mic nights booked around the area, but have toned it down to just one. He also regularly plays with Crystal Boutelle in After Eights and keeps himself open to playing other shows around the area.
“Lately when I am asked to play somewhere, I call musicians that I feel would fit in to the specific performance. It’s fun for me to play with other people,” Martin says. Martin and his music partners play a wide range of music, from 50s jazz to current hits, usually with an emphasis on a female vocal lead.
Lastly, Martin has been a recent fixture down at Big Water Studios on the West Shore. “I’ve been working with Ian Case and about 10 different local musicians doing some original recording,” he says. “We’ve recorded two songs, one called ‘Sally’ about a woman that would come in to our open mic night at Trio. We’ve got about 50 different tracks and 10 people singing, so now it’s time to figure out how to use everything. I’ve also recorded a song called ‘Wake Up’ that [local artist] Renee DeFields sings on.”
Towards the end of our interview I asked this pied piper of Truckee what he had on tap for the rest of the day. “Well, I’ve got a group lesson coming in, and then I’ll get some practice time in before Kimba Madsen comes in. We’re playing the opening of the Rec Center on Saturday. I’ve got a full schedule, but it keeps me busy and I like it that way.”
The next time you can see Martin besides the Fat Cat will be either playing with the After Eights at the Uncorked Wine Bar in Squaw Valley. Get in touch with him for lessons by calling 530-448-6686 or at ben@rubicontech.com.
Be sure to pick up the current issue of Moonshine Ink at your favorite location in North Shore and Truckee.
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