Local musician hoping to make it big in Nashville
BROOME COUNTY – Harpursville native, high school graduate, guitarist, singer and songwriter Shawn Hawkins has left upstate New York and made his way to Nashville to pursue his passion for music.
Hawkins first picked up a guitar at age seven and began playing in a more public arena at 14. He has played locally at the Norwich Pumpkin Festival, the Parade of Lights, and the Chenango County Fair. His previous music endeavors have enabled him to open for many country music artists, including Jason Michael Carrol, Josh Gracin and Cassidy Lynn.
After high school, Hawkins packed up and made the journey from upstate New York to Nashville, where he is currently attending Belmont University. He is presently in his junior year as a music business major.
As a freshman at Belmont, he met a group of like-minded musicians who have joined together to form the band Ben Whisler.
“Last September we came together and played a couple of shows here and there,” said Hawkins. “Now, a month ago, we have released our first single.”
Lead singer Ben Whisler hails from a small Tennessee town, and his musical career began behind a drum kit. He later realized his musical passion was to be center stage with a six-string and a microphone. His songwriting blends down-to-earth personal experience with a distinct method of storytelling.
The band’s other members include Tim Hayes, a fiddle player majoring in commercial violin; Austin Mercuri, the bassist and a commercial bass major; and drummer Jared Ruby, majoring in commercial percussion.
Hawkins plays the lead guitar and the mandolin, and additionally has studied under Erik Halbig of the band Thompson Square.
The band’s sound was described by Hawkins as “country/rock” and he stated that their focus is on original music.
The members of Ben Whisler have already recorded four demos in their short time together and their single released last month, titled “Where the Moon Shines,” has seen success in the Tennessee area. The band was given the opportunity to both debut the song on a Knoxville radio station and perform it live on air. In early April, they packed the venue Whiskey Dix in Knoxville directly following the single’s release.
Since that time, the song has garnered attention not only in the Tennessee area, but also in Upstate N.Y. Locally, “Where the Moon Shines” has aired on Big Kat Country (95.3 FM) and The Hawk (98.1 FM).
“‘Where The Moon Shines’ was recorded for the most part in a dorm room,” said Hawkins. He explained that a roommate was an audio engineering major, and assisted with the mixing and production of the track. “The drums were actually recorded in a dining hall,” he added.
The band has had the opportunity to play at many venues, including 12 & Porter in Nashville, and several venues in NY while on their recent spring tour.
Hawkins and the rest of Ben Whisler will be spending most of their summer in Nashville - both working and playing shows. The band is slated for an East Coast tour in early August with shows in Oneonta, Hartwick, and Binghamton before heading further down the coast.
The single “Where The Moon Shines” is available on iTunes.
For additional information on the band and to locate upcoming events in your area, visit facebook.com/benwhislermusic.
Hawkins first picked up a guitar at age seven and began playing in a more public arena at 14. He has played locally at the Norwich Pumpkin Festival, the Parade of Lights, and the Chenango County Fair. His previous music endeavors have enabled him to open for many country music artists, including Jason Michael Carrol, Josh Gracin and Cassidy Lynn.
After high school, Hawkins packed up and made the journey from upstate New York to Nashville, where he is currently attending Belmont University. He is presently in his junior year as a music business major.
As a freshman at Belmont, he met a group of like-minded musicians who have joined together to form the band Ben Whisler.
“Last September we came together and played a couple of shows here and there,” said Hawkins. “Now, a month ago, we have released our first single.”
Lead singer Ben Whisler hails from a small Tennessee town, and his musical career began behind a drum kit. He later realized his musical passion was to be center stage with a six-string and a microphone. His songwriting blends down-to-earth personal experience with a distinct method of storytelling.
The band’s other members include Tim Hayes, a fiddle player majoring in commercial violin; Austin Mercuri, the bassist and a commercial bass major; and drummer Jared Ruby, majoring in commercial percussion.
Hawkins plays the lead guitar and the mandolin, and additionally has studied under Erik Halbig of the band Thompson Square.
The band’s sound was described by Hawkins as “country/rock” and he stated that their focus is on original music.
The members of Ben Whisler have already recorded four demos in their short time together and their single released last month, titled “Where the Moon Shines,” has seen success in the Tennessee area. The band was given the opportunity to both debut the song on a Knoxville radio station and perform it live on air. In early April, they packed the venue Whiskey Dix in Knoxville directly following the single’s release.
Since that time, the song has garnered attention not only in the Tennessee area, but also in Upstate N.Y. Locally, “Where the Moon Shines” has aired on Big Kat Country (95.3 FM) and The Hawk (98.1 FM).
“‘Where The Moon Shines’ was recorded for the most part in a dorm room,” said Hawkins. He explained that a roommate was an audio engineering major, and assisted with the mixing and production of the track. “The drums were actually recorded in a dining hall,” he added.
The band has had the opportunity to play at many venues, including 12 & Porter in Nashville, and several venues in NY while on their recent spring tour.
Hawkins and the rest of Ben Whisler will be spending most of their summer in Nashville - both working and playing shows. The band is slated for an East Coast tour in early August with shows in Oneonta, Hartwick, and Binghamton before heading further down the coast.
The single “Where The Moon Shines” is available on iTunes.
For additional information on the band and to locate upcoming events in your area, visit facebook.com/benwhislermusic.
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