We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ben Andrew. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ben below.
Ben, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
That is a really good question. I always write something every day and hold firm to my roots as a musician. I play the piano regularly and this feeds back into my compositional skills. Composing can sometimes come naturally and there are times when the first thing I write on any given day, works perfectly for a given scene in a film or TV program. That being said, there are other days where inspiration is lacking and I have to force myself to write something… anything, just to prevent myself from having writers block. Creativity is an act of will. Creating something, even if you feel like there is a creative blockage, is the key to moving forwards.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Ben Andrew. I’m a British film composer, pianist, and author based in Los Angeles. My musical roots lie in classical training — I studied under British concert pianist John Bingham, a student of Heinrich Neuhaus, at Trinity College of Music in London. Later, I continued my education at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with Jenő Jandó. Over the years, I’ve performed internationally at renowned venues including St Martin-in-the-Fields in London and City Hall in Hong Kong.
Throughout my career, I’ve embraced the challenges of the piano repertoire, performing monumental works such as Rachmaninov’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3, Beethoven’s Fourth Concerto, and the complete Op. 25 Études by Chopin. In addition to classical music, I’ve built extensive experience as a pop pianist, performing alongside artists including Tom Walker, Rick Wakeman, the late Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake), and Roger Hodgson (Supertramp).
My journey into composition began with solo piano arrangements, eventually expanding into original works for four pianos with three players at each instrument. I’m passionate about writing across genres. A rock track I co-wrote and orchestrated — Not in My Name, featuring a solo by Bernie Marsden — was broadcast on BBC and LBC radio. My piano arrangement of Hatikvah is featured on the Grade 8 exam syllabus of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM).
In 2013, I had the privilege of meeting celebrated composer Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia, Man on Fire). Today, over a decade later, I’m thrilled to be working full-time in LA as part of his team. Since our first collaboration, I’ve contributed to several of his major projects, including Meg 2: The Trench and Gladiator II and season 3 of The Gilded Age.
Collaboration is at the heart of my work — whether it’s recording with orchestral musicians or teaming up with publishing and editorial professionals. I find great joy in connecting with like-minded creatives. A recent highlight was orchestrating Deified, the latest release by Tony Iommi, founding member of Black Sabbath. I’ve also worked with companies such as Solid State Logic (SSL) and Sequential. For SSL, I composed and recorded an original piece for the launch of their new products and gave a presentation on my compositional process at World Heart Beat Studios in London. For Sequential, I created two original works to showcase the relaunch of the iconic Prophet 10 synthesizer.
Alongside performing and composing, I have a strong background in music education. For 12 years, I served as Head of Keyboard at a leading UK private school. I’ve authored several books published by Hal Leonard, the world’s largest music publisher, and developed ScaleTracks, an iOS app that makes practicing scales and arpeggios engaging and fun. With over 1,000 genre-spanning backing tracks — from Dubstep to Baroque — ScaleTracks has received praise from BBC Music Magazine, The Strad, and Music Teacher Magazine.
I love the variety a career in music brings. Composing for film and television has always been my dream — and now, living in LA, I’m proud to say I’m living that dream. I’m excited to see where this creative path will lead next.
One of the greatest challenges on my journey to becoming a full-time composer was time — or more accurately, the lack of it. Composition is a time-intensive process, and for many years I juggled long hours in music education while composing during late nights. Maintaining a work-life balance was extremely difficult, and burnout was a real concern. But I stayed focused on my goal. With a combination of perseverance, sacrifice, and patience, I ultimately transitioned fully into the world of professional composition — a path I’m deeply grateful to be walking today.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Having a strong musical education has been foundational for me and my journey so far. The thousands of hours of instrumental practice have helped me to develop a broad understanding of music spanning all genres. I also believe that pushing myself to the limits, both with performance and composition, has been so character-building. Whether this is performing a major piano concerto or writing music in a style that is new, working outside my comfort zone has built resilience within me both professionally and personally. I also believe it is important to be personable, authentic, approachable and to be prepared to get things wrong. Nobody enters any area of the creative industry as the finished article. It is the journey itself that shapes us and helps us to develop as individuals. I accept and embrace the fact that I will never stop learning. The moment I feel like I “know it all” is the moment I should quit. So in summary, be yourself, approach all that you do with humility and do your best to glean as many positives from any situation.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
They supported my musical aspirations when I was growing up. They paid for me to learn the piano and encouraged me to practice, even when I was a stroppy teenager! If this hadn’t have happened, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.benandrewmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_andrew_music/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/benski1234
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