Ben Card is a creative recording artist, an instrumentalist from Morristown, New Jersey. His varied style is a combination of blues, rock, metal, patriotic, bluegrass and classical music. Card's influences are Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson, Jimmy Page, The Yardbirds, Eric Clapton, Cream, Jeff Beck, Lonnie Mack, The Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, YES, The Who, The Doors, The Mamas & The Papas, Peter Paul & Mary, The 5th Dimension, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Bad Company, The Beach Boys, The Carpenters, Willie Nelson, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Genesis, Triumph, Devo, Rush, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Black Sabbath, Mötley Crüe, AC/DC, Styx, Deep Purple, Van Halen, Slayer, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Judas Priest, King Diamond/Mercyful Fate, Emperor, Mayhem, The Charlie Daniels Band, Lynard Skynard, Loretta Lynn, 38 Special, ABBA, Herb Alpert, Duke Ellington, Chuck Mangione, Joni Mitchell, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Blondie, The Go Go's, Enya, Elvis Presley. Since Card was raised on classical music and is classically trained, he also counts among his influences the great composers Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Albéniz, Strauss, Wagner, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and others. Card's lifelong journey into music began at about 4 years of age. His parents kept a large organ in their home in Paramus, New Jersey which he would often play on. Card recalls: "I felt an amazing, strange connection with those sounds and vibrations that would transport me into otherworldly dimensions.." Card started taking rock guitar lessons at about 12 years of age and became proficient in a short time. Card also began playing piano when he was 17. Card was consistently encouraged by his parents, peers, friends, teachers and cheering audiences to continue, which he did.. Card won first place at the Veterans Administration talent show in March 2012. That same year, he met with Jefferson Airplane founder Jorma Kaukonen at his Fur Peace Ranch blues guitar camp in Ohio. Card performed acoustic song "Diane" there and played it with the Jorma. "It's a beautiful song" Jorma remarked. Between then and now, Card has performed at several soirées across the country, and a televised performance on live cable TV via satellite for Mountain Top Music in the North Country with a very positive reception. Card was accepted into the University Of New Hampshire by audition in 2017, playing the requisite scales, some sight reading and two contrasting pieces from the Classical and Romantic periods. "I knew then more than ever that when it comes to learning and teaching music, I prefer a heuristic approach, which is much more effective than spoon feeding people. It was an amazing experience of self discovery", Card muses. Card is currently working on a monster album with a professional studio engineer/producer and other musicians. Samples of Card's music and colorful artwork can be found here, on Reverbnation, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. "Musically, I feel so much freedom and really enjoy what I am doing nowadays. As an artist, I have changed much over the years, and with pure music I can focus exclusively on what I am doing artistically, technically and creatively. It's a great feeling.!!" ~Ben Card
