“It’s all about the story.”

“Music expresses the emotions and truths of storytelling that simply cannot be seen with the eye. When the music is right for a scene, you can just feel it.”

Ben Pedersen’s approach to writing music is just that; that the story should come first. Ben writes in all styles, from traditional orchestral to electronica, and everything between.

Originally from Seattle, Ben wrote arrangements for jazz and brass bands, and music for radio and theater. Ben's first stage musical was produced professionally when he was 16 years old, and his first score was recorded with an orchestra at age 17. He studied composition and film scoring at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and orchestration in Los Angeles.

Recently, Ben has written music for the films Stranded,The Man in the Moon, and NBC television’s Starting Over, & The National Geographic Channel. Ben also was a music editor for the recent Martin Scorsese film, The Departed and the Miramax bio-epic, The Aviator. Currently, Ben is writing the score for the black & white feature film, Deadland Dreaming.

Ben says the following about his musical approach: “I believe the most important thing in dramatic music is that the story is being communicated effectively.”

“The director should have complete control over the twists and turns of emotion in any scene. Filmmakers shouldn’t feel intimidated by the word ‘music,’ even if they know nothing about it. The composer is there to help make your story come alive; not draw attention to himself.”