With a Master of Early Childhood Education, Ben offers a wide range of classroom and community workshops, pre/post show experiences, and models for collaborating with children onstage. Engagements range from single day programs to more in-depth residencies, which are tailored to fit the outreach objectives of each presenting organization.

Founded on the idea that music transcends language and promotes cross-cultural understanding, MISTER G's Musical Postcards Project unites children across borders. The collaboration begins in a host community where students write postcards and co-create a song, which is then filmed as part of a concert performance.

Ben acts as the 'postmaster' and takes the project with him to a sister community in a foreign country, where another cohort of children join in the exchange. The project concludes with a collaborative video that blends musical traditions from both communities, celebrating the contributions of young people.

Empowering students to write their own songs and demystifying the writing process, Ben uses examples from his award-winning albums to illustrate how great songs, like great stories, follow a narrative form with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Employing basic concepts in literacy, students brainstorm specific imaginative details to create compelling characters and events, and then translate these ideas into lyrics. Using this participant-generated material, Ben demonstrates how a range of musical styles including funk, rock, reggae, bluegrass, and jazz can be paired with lyrics to invent a fully formed new song.

Reinforces English Language Arts, Music, History and Social Science, Multicultural Studies, and Spanish Language curricula.

In this dynamic, multicultural program, Ben uses call and response techniques to engage children in both Spanish and English. His Latin GRAMMY winning original, music seamlessly weave together lyrics in both languages and a multitude of styles (salsa, bossa nova, merengue etc.) to create irresistible tunes that are both catchy and educational. For English-speaking children, the concert offers an excellent introduction to Spanish vocabulary and Latin-influenced music. For native Spanish-speaking children, the songs reinforce the value of their culture and language.

Reinforces Spanish Language, English Language Arts, Music, Multicultural Studies, and History and Social Science curricula.

In this interactive assembly, Ben guides students to draw the connection between exploration and appreciation of nature and the desire to conserve, protect, and defend the world in which we live. By incorporating scientific information into his engaging, dynamic songs, Ben helps students learn important facts about biology, ecology, and physics. Children’s inherent curiosity about the natural world is a great jumping-off point for inspiring budding eco-activists.

Reinforces Science and Technology, English Language Arts, Music, Multicultural Studies, and Spanish Language curricula.

In this hands-on workshop, Ben transforms a classroom into a fully functioning recording studio. Students learn how to setup microphones, connect audio equipment, and conduct a multi-track recording session. Youth are encouraged to bring instruments and everyone can take part in the music creation process by playing improvised percussion, singing, and making sound effects. Participants will learn about recording software and collaborate with Ben to mix and master a song together. The final product is an MP3 that is shared with students and families.

INTRODUCES AUDIO Technologies, RECORDING TECHNIQUES, STUDIO PROCESS, AND MULTI-TRACK MIXING.

In this dynamic interactive workshop, Ben empowers teachers to use music and movement in their classrooms. Regardless of musical background, teachers will learn to incorporate musical techniques such as call-and-response, simple rhythms, and dynamics to increase experiential learning opportunities, facilitate language acquisition, and teach common core topics. Teachers will leave with a toolkit which includes a free download of Mister G’s environmental themed album Mundo Verde/Green World, sample teaching guides, song lyrics, online resources for teaching music in the classroom, and current research about the connection between music and education.