Ben Ranson Concert Saturday, September 30
Live Music + Guitar Improv Workshop at NYMRCC
The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center’s 2023 Fall Concert Series continues on Saturday, September 30 with a concert by Ben Ranson at 7:30 p.m. Ben will also offer a guitar improv workshop before the concert, at 1:00 p.m.
Ben Ranson is a nylon-string, finger-style guitarist and humorous singer-songwriter from Sebeka, Minnesota, who is notable for combining ironic, quirky songs with sophisticated guitar arrangements featuring extended solo improvisation.
Ben’s songs are distinguished by their irreverent attitude, realism, and rural midwestern subject matter such as potato inspectors, love, taxidermists, garbage men, grasshoppers, local rodeo accidents, and the cuisine of the town of Barnesville, MN. His rhyme and wordplay make the imagery in his songs vivid, lifelike, and funny.
Concert tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door (members get a $2 discount!); students $5. You can buy advance tickets online (https://kulcher.networkforgood.com/events/61959-ben-ranson-concert) or by calling 218-385-3339. Doors open at 7:00 pm and music begins at 7:30. Light refreshments and cash bar available.
Ben will also offer a Guitar Improv Workshop preceding the concert, from 1-2 p.m. This hands-on workshop is on unaccompanied improvisation for the guitar. Participants will learn how to make up music, on the spot, all by yourself, that sounds beautiful.
In order to participate, you must bring your own guitar and know how to play an open E chord and an open D chord. Ben will cover a variety of techniques simple enough to be done by a beginner, but also of use to advanced players. Workshop cost $15 per person; maximum of 20 participants. Sign up online (https://kulcher.networkforgood.com/events/62222-guitar-improv-workshop-with-ben-ranson) or by calling 218-385-3339.
Both the workshop and the concert will take place in the intimate listening-room-style visual art gallery space at the NYM Regional Cultural Center, 24 N Main Ave in NYM.
This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board operating support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Visit kulcher.org or call the Cultural Center at 218-385-3339 with any questions.
About the Cultural Center
The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is a rural hub for creativity, community vitality, and lifelong learning in the arts. The Center offers visitors intimate opportunities to encounter art and artists in its 80-seat concert listening room, visual art gallery in a historic building, gift shop featuring local artists, artist residency program, sculpture park, and a variety of opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Since its incorporation in 1990, the Cultural Center has been passionate about connecting people to artists and rich cultural experiences in rural Minnesota, celebrating the local and being a window to the world. For more information, call 218-385-3339, or visit www.kulcher.org.
