Benjamin Lerner, the Great-grandson of Irving Berlin (composer of such iconic tunes as “God Bless America” and “White Christmas”), is a Vermont-based Composer, Writer, Radio Host, and Recovery Advocate.

Benjamin started his musical career as a classical piano prodigy. By his early twenties, he was an IV heroin and crack cocaine addict. Now sober since June 13, 2016, he journals his journey in addiction and sobriety in his all new piano-raps, which combine classical piano and rap.

Benjamin credits his continued success in recovery to his ability to express his emotions relating to his struggle through word and song.

“When I first went to rehab,” Benjamin admits, “I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to make music anymore, because I made music about doing drugs for so long, I didn’t know if I’d be able to do it without getting high. It took getting clean for me to realize that expression and creativity are the drugs I’ve been searching for all along. I’m still a junkie. I just get high off of music now.”

Benjamin has had the pleasure of performing for the National Academy of Medicine and The Aspen Institute. In 2019, he was the composer-in-residence at 1761 Arts, and he made his Carnegie Hall debut in April 2022 as part of the Indie Collaborative.

His debut album, CLEAN, was released in February 2020. It was produced at Old Mill Road Recording in East Arlington, Vermont.

Benjamin’s weekly column, also entitled, CLEAN, is read weekly in the Vermont News Guide and was syndicated in Seven Days in 2022.

In January 2021, Benjamin started hosting CLEAN Jams on WEQX, an innovative radio program that shines a spotlight on rap, hip-hop, and recovery. CLEAN Jams is sponsored by Old Mill Road Media.

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From Librarian to Developer: w/ Roxy Rodriguez-Becker