The InKleined Podcast Episode 3 - "Meanwhile the world goes on" with Ben Kean.

Welcome to the InKleined Podcast. Today’s guest is Ben Kean, a professional musician, formerly contracted as a Saxophonist on board Cunard Line, and now he is completing his Master’s Degree in Jazz Arranging at William Paterson University. Ben and I met on board the Queen Elizabeth during my second contract at sea, and quickly became friends. But in the time that we knew each other on board, I never had the opportunity to sit down and have a chat with him one to one; and now I have, I’m extremely glad I did. Listen on to find out more about Ben’s perspective and his refreshing outlook on life.



Listen to Ben’s Podcast, Peachy Poetry, on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hIUimA82jL9o9HSXrPCF7

For more about me: www.samjamesklein.com| @samjamesklein





  

Episode Description:



0:00 – 02:00 Initial catch up. 02:00 – 09:19 Police brutality in America; “can’t separate American history with the oppression of black people”. MLK “Riots are the language of the unheard” and the protest for the murder in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd. What policing should be about “the police is the public and the public is the police”. 09:19 – 14:00 Becoming disillusioned in life & growing up. Becoming a musician (among other things…) 14:00 – 20:00 Being creative and refining the craft. The music of Animal crossing and “The Randy Newman of Nintendo”. The value of internal gratification and stating Peachy Poetry. 20:00 – 24:00 Fame means nothing by itself, instead, play for people who love you (or not?). 24:00 – 33:50 Finding your feet in music and musicians looking out for each other. Early mentorship. Camaraderie and sense of belonging in a band. Juggling several things at once in a creative field and protecting our enjoyment with another career? Loosing passion… 33:50 – 40:00 Overnight in NYC. “Everyone just plays better in New York”. Jamming in music and how to jam. La La Land and Whiplash. 40:00 – 59:00 How we met and working on cruise ships. Why Ben quit cruise ships and what it’s like to be a musician on board. Struggles working on cruise ships. “Not musically fulfilling”. 59:00 – 1:05:00 Why I finished cruise ships. The artistic bottleneck. Travelling can’t just be about the travel. Easy to get comfortable and used to the conditions. The two year rule to working on board. 1:16:00 – 1:29:00 Favorited port? Osaka story. Personal spending limits on clothing. Cape Town memories. 1:29:00 – 1:42:00 People are mirrors. Standing up for yourself in conflict and choosing your battles in life (not being in bar fights). 1:42:00 – 1:53:00 What are you hear to say? It’s ok to be anxious… The important things in life are relationships. Leaving inspiration in your wake. 1:53:00 – 2:07:00 Podcasts saving conversations. Being introverted and transcendental moments. 2:07:00 – close Peachy Poetry and the trademark Bernie dance.