Ben Cosgrove

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ben Cosgrove
Cosgrove playing live in Boulder, Colorado in 2013
Cosgrove playing live in Boulder, Colorado in 2013
Background information
Born (1988-01-30) January 30, 1988 (age 33)
GenresInstrumental
Occupation(s)Composer, Multi-instrumentalist, Producer
Instrumentspiano, keyboards, organ, accordion, upright bass, guitar, percussion, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, violin, field recordings
Years active2010–present
Associated actsThe Ghost of Paul Revere
Websitebencosgrove.com

Ben Cosgrove (born 30 January 1988) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist from Methuen, Massachusetts, whose work explores the intersection of sound and place.[1][2][3]

Releases and recognition[]

His 2011 album, Yankee Division, is based on landscapes around New England, taking its name from the Yankee Division Highway.[4] In 2014, he released Field Studies, an album exploring the wider American landscape, from the Sierra Nevada to the Everglades.[5] In 2015, Cosgrove released a live album, Solo Piano, which features recordings collected from performances in thirteen different states.[6] His 2017 studio album, Salt, is a concept record comparing landscapes of flux and ambiguity to personal tumult and emotional unrest.[7]

In February 2021, he announced a new album, The Trouble With Wilderness, to be released in April of that year, and its lead single, "The Machine in the Garden." The album is said to focus on the built environment and everyday landscapes instead of remote or exotic places. Cosgrove told WBUR that "a lot of the album is abstractly about how there's still so much room for unpredictability, wildness and expression even within structures and situations that might seem rigid and artificial."[8] [9]

In addition to his solo work, he often tours and records with other artists, including The Ghost of Paul Revere and Darlingside.[10][11]

Cosgrove's landscape compositions are discussed in Conor Knighton's Leave Only Footprints (2020) and Matthew Doucet's You've Never Heard Your Favorite Song: 100 Deep Cuts to Make Your World Sound Better (2020).[12][13] He has served as an artist-in-residence with the Schmidt Ocean Institute, the New England National Scenic Trail, the Signet Society, Isle Royale National Park, Acadia National Park, and White Mountain National Forest.[14][15][16][17][18]

Literature[]

Cosgrove also writes nonfiction essays that touch upon place, sound, and art. His writing has appeared in Orion, Northern Woodlands, and other outlets.[19][20][21]

References[]

  1. ^ Patrick Lauppe (2012-10-17). "Harvard Arts Blog » Ben Cosgrove '10 talks music, national parks and urgent signals". Ofa.fas.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  2. ^ "In Studio with Ben Cosgrove". Connecticut Public Radio/WNPR. February 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "Composer and musician Ben Cosgrove portrays place in "Yankee Division," a new CD | Harvard Magazine Jul-Aug 2012". Harvardmagazine.com. 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  4. ^ "» Desktop Submissions: Ben Cosgrove's Yankee Division". Residentmediapundit.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-19. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  5. ^ Ben Cosgrove. "Store". ben cosgrove. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  6. ^ "Red Line Roots: Ben Cosgrove - Solo Piano review". Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  7. ^ "Sound of Boston: Album Review - Salt by Ben Cosgrove". Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  8. ^ "WBUR: Listen: Ben Cosgrove Makes Music For The Life Between The Cracks". Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  9. ^ "Red Line Roots: Fresh Track: Ben Cosgrove "The Machine In The Garden"". Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  10. ^ "The Ghost Of Paul Revere Releases New Album, 'Good At Losing Everything' [Listen]". L4LM. 2020-08-28. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  11. ^ "About Ben - Ben Cosgrove". www.bencosgrove.com. Retrieved 2014-10-29.
  12. ^ Knighton, Conor, author. (2020). Leave only footprints. ISBN 978-1-9848-2354-0. OCLC 1155516088.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Doucet, Matthew (2020-09-08). You've Never Heard Your Favorite Song: 100 Deep Cuts to Make Your World Sound Better. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-60433-970-3.
  14. ^ "Ben Cosgrove". The Signet Society. 2012-04-20. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  15. ^ "About Ben - Ben Cosgrove". www.bencosgrove.com. Retrieved 2014-10-29.
  16. ^ "Ben Cosgrove - Artist in Residence". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  17. ^ https://schmidtocean.org/cruise-log-post/artist-sea-ben-cosgrove-vietnam-guam/
  18. ^ http://artists-in-residence-field-notes.com/artist-video-profile-ben-cosgrove-new-england-national-scenic-trail/
  19. ^ "Seven Essays". Bencosgrove.com. 2016-04-05. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  20. ^ "Orion Magazine: The Sound of Six Million Acres". Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  21. ^ "Northern Woodlands: An Ice Storm Comes to Hubbard Brook". Retrieved 2017-06-29.
Retrieved from ""