Clark picks his way to Nashville

by Hilary McNamara, associate editor

 

Music runs through Ben Clark’s blood.

Clark said that his parents saw that at an early age he was a talented musician, like a lot of his family members were, and made him take piano lessons at age 4. From the lessons, Clark grew to love music.

Growing up on a farm outside of Kilgore, Texas Clark says that his love for music never went away. That is, until 1997 at Texas A&M, where Clark was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in entomology and through the spring of 2002, when he also pursued a master’s degree in forensic entomology.  While trying to write a paper one night, Clark recalls that he came upon the website for South Plains College and learned about the commercial music program.

He attended South Plains College in the fall of 2002 until spring of 2004. Clark said in a recent interview with the Plainsman Press. “ It was by far the best musical experience/education I've ever encountered.”

When asked how SPC helped him musically, Clark said, “ The instructors were absolute professionals. They have been there, done that. No matter what you had dreams of becoming, there was always someone here that could relate.”

One of Clark’s instructors, Cary Banks, has kept in touch with him during his journey and remembers that “Ben was a very diligent student, and as result absorbed so much information and experience while he was here. He was always playing 
somewhere with somebody!”

Banks, chairperson of the Creative Arts Department, recalls that Clark also learned to play the banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and even the dobro, in addition to the piano.

Clark later served as a band leader of a country band at Six Flags Over Texas during the summer of 2004. That fall was when he made the big move to Nashville. Clark said that spinning off from the professionalism of the instructors was the “extreme quality of the alumni.” When he arrived in Nashville, he already had a great inside circle, and it made the move easier.  

Soon after he moved to Nashville, Clark went on a nationwide radio tour with another former SPC student, Matt Jenkins. Coincidentally, Jenkin’s manager was also the manager for country singer Josh Gracin. So when Jenkins’ tour ended, Clark joined Gracin’s band in 2006. He played piano, banjo and mandolin for Gracin until April. 

It seems that from there, Clark’s career took off. He soon played with another big name in country music, Craig Morgan.

“I mainly played piano for him, but also played banjo and madolin,” Clark says.

In December 2006, Taylor Swift called him and asked him to play banjo, mandolin, dobro, guitar and piano.

“I jumped on a leap of faith, considering Taylor only had one single out at the time, and have been with her since,” says Clark. “It's been quite a ride!”

Clark’s two younger sisters, who graduated from SPC last spring, made the move out to Nashville and are pursing music careers. Clark and his sisters have recently started recording an album together that is mostly instrumental. The CD is supposed to be done by the end of the year.

Clark says the he would like to thank the Creative Arts faculty for “a world class education.”

“I never imagined I would learn so much or be armed with so many tools needed in the professional music scene,” Clark says. “The only regret I have is that I'm not able to go as often as I'd like.just to see old friends and maybe pick a tune.”

Clark said the number one piece of advice he has for other students is “ your career is not going to look for you. It is horrifying to make the first move, but you have to.”