Ben Cosgrove is a touring composer and multi-instrumentalist based in northern New England. He tours the country constantly, writing and performing instrumental music directly inspired by landscape, place, and ecology. His recent studio album Field Studies featured lush instrumental portraits of 13 North American landscapes. Ben has held artist residencies and fellowships at Acadia National Park, Isle Royale National Park, Harvard University, Middlebury College, the Vermont Studio Center, and the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, and he is currently the artist in residence at New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest.
As an Environmentally Conscious Musician:
"I feel pretty strongly that the greatest environmental impact I can have as a musician comes from encouraging my listeners to think more critically about place. I write music about the human experience of different landscapes in order to put the people who listen to it into a mindset where they might consider their own environment more thoughtfully. "
"Aldo Leopold's land ethic notes that we can only act ethically in relation to something we "see, feel, understand, love, or otherwise have faith in," and I am convinced that the single greatest factor in most cases of environmental degradation is a lack of attachment to, interest in places and landscapes. By focusing single-mindedly on place/landscape/environment in my music, I hope to actively work against that human tendency to ignore the things around us. "
Green Roster Band
Joined: April 2016
Eco Practices
Ben Cosgrove has a long history of upholding environmentally conscious practices in his music. His art is focused heavily on place and landscape, and he's held artist residencies at public land areas across the US in order to create music inspired by his surroundings.
Annual Green Goals
Here are the goals that Ben Cosgrove has set for being green this upcoming year:
- Go on a camping-only tour this summer (no hotels!).
- Won't throw out a single used guitar string! All will be recycled or sent to a string artist.
- Be vigilant about recycling everything that can be, and reducing waste.
- Will only buy second-hand instruments.
- When shipping, use eco-friendly packaging and padding.
- Visit National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges, and go hiking.
- Reduce water and electricity waste.
- Add an eco-friendly t-shirt to the merch options.
- Supporting Sustain!
Favorite Public Lands
Monadnock State Park, Baxter State Park, Green Mountain National Forest, White Mountain National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, Siuslaw National Forest, Isle Royale National Park.