By any measure, Ben Gunderseimer has followed an unusual career path. Beginning with open mics and coffee houses, his early work earned him the first songwriting scholarship awarded by Berklee College of Music. He went on to front several bands and tour the club circuit, sharing the stage with breakout artists like Phish, Crash Test Dummies, and The Spin Doctors.
Despite the momentum, he grew disenchanted with the music industry and longed for a career that was more closely connected to his values. Inspired by his childhood hero, Pete Seeger - who said “The future of the entire human race lies in the hands of children” - Ben walked away from his musical career and went back to graduate school where he earned a Masters in Education.
While teaching in an elementary school, he began writing songs for his students and singing together during recess. Soon, requests started rolling in and he found himself performing at birthday parties and school functions. As a new musical career took shape, Ben adopted the stage name “MISTER G” which was given to him by students who couldn’t pronounce his last name. In a few short years, he went from performing at libraries and school assemblies to festival stages like Lollapoolaza, Austin City Limits, and New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Despite the momentum, he grew disenchanted with the music industry and longed for a career that was more closely connected to his values. Inspired by his childhood hero, Pete Seeger - who said “The future of the entire human race lies in the hands of children” - Ben walked away from his musical career and went back to graduate school where he earned a Masters in Education.
While teaching in an elementary school, he began writing songs for his students and singing together during recess. Soon, requests started rolling in and he found himself performing at birthday parties and school functions. As a new musical career took shape, Ben adopted the stage name “MISTER G” which was given to him by students who couldn’t pronounce his last name. In a few short years, he went from performing at libraries and school assemblies to festival stages like Lollapoolaza, Austin City Limits, and New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Now a leading figure in the world of children’s music, he has released ten albums, toured the world, and published two picture books with Penguin Random House. Hailed as a “bilingual rock star” by the Washington Post, he has recorded and performed with artists from throughout Latin America and won a Latin GRAMMY Award in recognition of his cross-cultural collaborations as well as his strength as a songwriter and producer.
2020 marks Ben’s return to his roots as a singer-songwriter. His forthcoming release “Sarasota” introduces a backlog of material written for adult audiences. Written in Spanish, the song “Tú y tú” reflects his experiences working on both sides of the US-Mexico border, while the ballad “Warm Hands & Bones” takes refuge in the fleeting moments that lovers share.
2020 marks Ben’s return to his roots as a singer-songwriter. His forthcoming release “Sarasota” introduces a backlog of material written for adult audiences. Written in Spanish, the song “Tú y tú” reflects his experiences working on both sides of the US-Mexico border, while the ballad “Warm Hands & Bones” takes refuge in the fleeting moments that lovers share.
Ben resides in the woods of Western Massachusetts, where he operates Black Bear Recording Studios. His body of work is steeped in diverse musical traditions, inviting friendships and collaborations with the likes of New Orleans icon Charles Neville, Puerto Rican flutist José Valentino, Argentinian vocalist Mica Farías Gomez, Senegalese talking drum master Massamba Diop (Baaba Maal), Dominican pianist Janina Rosado (Juan Luis Guerra), Peruvian bassist Oscar Stagnaro (Paquito D’Rivera), and Cuban pianist Arturo O'Farrill.
