Today we’d like to introduce you to Cece Benz.
Hi Cece, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a nineteen-year-old singer/songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. I started singing at a very young age. I just loved making sounds, and singing brought me so much joy. I remember standing on the fireplace with my brother performing for my family. I had keyboards, microphones and got my first guitar at age nine. My dad played guitar while my brother and I sang along, and I think that was one of the things that inspired me to pursue music. However, my parents would not let me take guitar lessons until I took piano lessons. After three years of piano, I finally convinced them to let me take guitar lessons. Soon after, I started working with “Mama Jan” and Jan Smith Studios. I wrote my first original song in the seventh grade after attending a songwriting camp in Nashville. I learned as many covers as I could while writing my own music and played at every gig I could book. I played a regular gig at a Farmers Market on the weekends, played at coffee shops, and started entering open mics anywhere I could. I even wrote songs for school projects in lieu of papers. Everything has just continued and grown from there. I have been fortunate enough to play at some of the best acoustic venues in Atlanta and Nashville. I have also headlined three shows at Eddie’s Attic in downtown Decatur. I am an artist with Writer’s Block, SoFar Sounds and with Breaking Sound in Boston which has been a great way to meet other artists and continue sharing my original music while building my fan base. I am currently a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA pursuing vocal performance and songwriting. My goal is to continue recording and releasing original music and to one day tour in support of my music.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I suppose you could say the road has been smooth but slow. When asked about struggles, I am immediately reminded of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was really playing a lot of live gigs and had experienced a successful boost when I was the runner-up at the very well-known Eddie’s Attic Bi-Annual open mic shootout when I was fourteen years old. Some readers may not be familiar with this, but most of the Atlanta music scene knows what it is. That led to a couple of gigs where I opened for other more established artists, so I was gaining some momentum with my music. I decided to record one of my original songs, Hit Girl when I was 15. It was a time of so much excitement. The week the song was released, the whole world shut down. Along with that, in-person guitar and vocal lessons stopped and as we all know, live music stopped. That was a struggle.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My original music has been described as a blend of singer-songwriter acoustic with indie pop and a hint of soul. I have been called a confessional lyricist before, but not every song is about me or something I have experienced. I have fun playing my songs for people and it’s really special when someone comes to me after a show and they want to talk about how a song made them feel. That is how I connect with my audience and make new listeners feel a part of this journey with me. Playing my music for people is such a gift because a lot of these songs start out as a personal way for me to process my own emotions or feelings, but evolve into something that other people can relate to. When I pour my heart into a song and it resonates with someone, it is no longer just my song, it is a shared song. This, to me, is what makes songwriting so special. I hope that my shows feel authentic and real. So many artists try to be what they think other people want, I really just want to stay true to myself and my music. With that mindset, I recorded my first big project during the summer of 2023. It was such a positive experience, and I learned so much. I am really proud of the songs on the project and the part of my life that they represent. For me, they encompass the shift from high school to college and leaving home… moving on. The first single off the project“Growing Pains” dropped on Friday, November 17 and is now available on all streaming platforms under Cece Benz! It would mean the world to me if you gave it a stream. I hope you enjoy it and stay tuned for what’s to come!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’m not sure I would call myself a risk taker, yet I think being an artist makes me somewhat of a risk taker by default. Taking a chance on a music career is a risk and you never know if it’s going to work out. All of that said, I took a risk recently and transferred to colleges. I realized I made a decision based on being afraid of being too far away from my family and home, but it was not the right place for me. So, after a year at one school, I transferred to Berklee College of Music in Boston. It was hard to leave my new friends and go so far away from home to start over, but it is without a doubt where I needed to be. I am immersed in music all the time and am having the best experiences. It is truly providing me with the academics, opportunities, and network that I needed. I’m so happy I took that risk!
Contact Info:
- Website: cecebenzmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cecebenzmusic/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFdzBhFfNxyyCqbZCkVpSiA
Image Credits
Mil Cannon Terry Berger
