Ben Shanblatt

Ben Shanblatt is a guitarist, composer, and educator based in NYC. He has served as a sideman, session musician, touring guitarist, and bandleader in virtually all styles of contemporary music. Some venues Ben has played include Smalls Jazz Club, The Knitting Factory, The Cutting Room, and Nublu among many others. In May 2022 Ben graduated with honors from The New School for Jazz with a BFA in jazz guitar, and was a recipient of the Alice and John Coltrane award of Excellence. Ben has also worked frequently as a composer, being nominated for two awards on broadwayworld.com Most recently, Ben’s compositional work was featured in the off-broadway run of Eric Bogosian’s play “ 1+1”, where he created an original score of incidental music. Outside of his music and composition work, Ben is an avid music educator with over 10 years of experience. He has worked with students as young as 3 up to 70 in diverse educational settings. Ben wishes to serve as an open resource and guide to his students, sharing his knowledge openly and with compassion in hopes of impressing a lifelong love of music upon his students.

My teaching style is entirely student-centered. I take a highly personalized approach with each and every student to ensure they reach their highest musical aspirations. Whether you have never learned music before or you are a seasoned professional, the focus of our lessons will be entirely focused on your interests! Whatever your stylistic interests or goals are, I also like to put an emphasis on practical skills in my lessons, as there are certain things you will need to be prepared for in the world of music, regardless of your level of involvement. In my lessons, I balance the fun of playing music with style-specific skills and technical fundamentals, to ensure that no stone is left unturned on your musical journey! Playing music is a deeply fulfilling and special endeavor, I look forward to helping you get in touch with the gift of music!