Ben began his classical guitar instruction at age 15.  Since then, he has played in masterclasses for a variety of distinguished guitarists, including Christopher Parkening, Sergio Asaad, Jason Vieaux, Adam Holzman, Zoran Dukic.  His primary instructors have been Paul Wilson, Petar Jankovic, and Ernesto Bitetti.  He completed his Bachelor's of Music at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, under the instruction of Jankovic and Bitetti.  He completed his master's degree in May of 2015, under the instruction of Ernesto Bitetti.

In addition to his classical guitar studies, Ben received jazz instruction from Des Moines-based artists Susie Miget and Willie James Shay.  He has performed jazz in Colorado, Iowa, Washington state, and Indiana, selecting works mainly from the Great American Songbook.  

Ben taught guitar and ukulele in Seattle, WA immediately following his 2015 graduation from Indiana University.