The BENJAMINJAMINMAN Violin Duo (pronounced Ben jammin' jammin'
man) was founded in the summer of 2003 when composers Ben S. Jacob and J. Mark Inman began exploring the possibilities of completely improvised music for two
untrained violinists. Although both Ben and Mark have extensive
experience in classical piano performance and have composed music for a
wide variety of media, the two composers have taken no more than a dozen
formal violin lessons. They take advantage of their avoidance of
indoctrination into classical violin performance techniques by forging a
new style of violin performance that explores the aesthetics of
discontinuity and aggression rather than the classical aesthetics of
continuity and balance. Although the platform of improvisation has
provided nourishment for their aesthetics, the BENJAMINJAMINMAN Violin Duo
has always taken the opportunity to punctuate their musical discourse with
elements of strict composition in order to engineer profound moments of
surprise and other startling effects.
The BENJAMINJAMINMAN Violin Duo began performing soon after its inception
and has performed in world-class venues and with an international array of
musicians. The Duo has performed in such intimate settings as the
Runcible Spoon coffee shop in Bloomington, Indiana as well as at art
galleries and at Auer Concert
Hall at the Indiana University
School of Music. The Duo has performed on bills that included
internationally renowned musicians such as trumpeter Rob Mazurek and Tigersmilk, violinist Phil
Durrant, saxophonist Jack Wright, percussionist Matt Weston, and the art-rock
ensemble Head of Femur. The Duo
performs regularly as a quartet with saxophonists Martin Belcher and Chris
Rall of Colloid and the
Sohio Martin Quintet.
At the age of ten, J. Mark Inman wrote his first piece of music. By the age of thirteen, Mark had set himself out to be a composer and pianist. However, after being accepted to Indiana University School of Music five years later, Mark broadened his ideas as to what a composer may be. Through these new ideas, he published poetry and became a professional painter and multi-media artist. The music Mark wrote became "Powerful" and "Like war," as explained by his teacher Sven-David Sandström. Disenchanted with the academics and politics of the School of Music, Mark left to free himself even further as an artist and a composer, continuing to study with Sandström. Mark is currently a violinist for the BENJAMINJAMINMAN Violin Duo and the Sohio Martin Quintet.
Born in 1977 in Illinois, U.S.A. Studied piano during his formative years. Began seriously pursuing music in 1993 by playing bass guitar in an electric guitar-bass guitar-drum set-vocal ensemble; began composing soon thereafter. Taught self guitar and drum set. Began formal music training at the University of Illinois School of Music in 1996 by joining the University of Illinois Javanese Gamelan. Completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Composition in 2000. Studied Balinese gamelan music and dance in Bali, Indonesia in Summer 2000. Has performed as a guitarist for the hardcore band Eve's Revenge (2003-2004); as a violinist in the BENJAMINJAMINMAN Violin Duo (2003-2005); and as bass guitarist for the technical grind-core ensemble Harlots (2004-2005). Currently a graduate student in Music Composition at the Indiana University School of Music. Ben thanks Daniel Knox for use of his violin.
"A whirling storm of violin violence punctuated with wailing shrieks and
gritty noises. This is everything your violin teacher tells you what not
to sound like, and Ben and Mark turn the unwanted 'noise' into a sonic
terroristic bliss..." - Noiseman433, 26 March 2004
"... [as good as what Iannis] Xenakis [was able to achieve in his compositions
for string instruments using both graphic and conventional notation.]" -
Dr. Don Freund, professor
of music composition, 11 August 2003
"... very provocative." - Sarah
Atlee, artist, 30 August 2003
"... this is gold." - Martin Belcher, saxophonist, November
2003
"[The BENJAMINJAMINMAN Violin Duo was] the best thing I've ever seen." - Kenny Brown, video artist,
24 November 2003
"... thought-provoking." - Wesley Wagner, jazz guitarist, 13 December
2003
"[The BENJAMINJAMINMAN Violin Duo is like] violins doing kung-fu !" - Joni Chan, classical pianist, 18 June 2005