This week on Mic Drop we have bassist, Ben Ubert. Ubert is a junior majoring in history, with a plan to add another major as his history degree is soon to be finished. While he’s not working at the campus bookstore or cheering on the track and cross country teams, he strums away on his bass and writes his own music.
Madeline Klepec: How did you get your start in music?
Ben Ubert: I became interested in music after hearing singles like “Speed of Sound” from Coldplay’s album “X & Y” right around 2005. In 2010, I found my grandmother had a little keyboard sitting around, and I decided to try and learn “Viva La Vida” by watching people cover the song on YouTube. I got the opportunity to study theory a bit after, and that leads to today.
MK: Do you write your own music? And if so, where does your inspiration come from?
BU: I do write, quite a bit actually. I used to record and share almost everything I wrote when I was younger, but now I haven’t shared anything I have written since the spring. I write for both myself and a little “band” with my friends Dan Burdick and Liam Cureton. Inspiration comes in a variety of shapes. Ultimately the idea for me is to express a very specific feeling I have in mind when I write any particular song — which guides what inspires me.
MK: What is your favorite part about performing music?
BU: When I perform, I have historically almost always played bass. I love playing bass. You get to really control a large portion of how a song feels when it’s played, and when you do it just right, it’s so satisfying. Playing guitar and singing is something I have never done as an actual performance, but I’m really enjoying learning about it more and more. It’s a new challenge, and I enjoy playing a different role than I have before.
MK: Is there a musician who inspired you?
BU: The list is too long to mention here, but I am a sponge that is inspired from nearly every artist I hear or see. A couple musicians that all heavily inspire me for different reasons are The Edge from U2, Neil Young, Noel Gallagher, Elvis Costello, Johnny Marr, Chris Martin and Mac DeMarco.
Make sure to watch Mic Drop on TheChronicle/NCClinked Facebook page this Thursday at 8 p.m.
