BENJAMIN Lerner
29 | Old Mill Road Media | Staff Writer
Residence: East Arlington
Career highlight(s): The career highlights I'm most proud of are releasing my debut album CLEAN, telling my story through my weekly serialized CLEAN column in Vermont News Guide, being selected by legendary DJ Funkmaster Flex for his Unsigned Cypher series, and performing at the Aspen Institute for the National Academy of Medicine's Action Collaborative to Combat the US Opioid Epidemic in November of 2019.
Community Involvement: My community involvement includes speaking out about the power of recovery at community events, such as an Arlington town meeting, and a recent candlelight 
vigil sponsored by Turning Point treatment center in Bennington held in honor of opioid overdose victims.
What motivated you to live and work in Vermont? I was motivated to live and work in Vermont both by my childhood memories coming up here with my father to his house in Sandgate during the summer and winter, and by my musical and artistic partnership with Dr. Joshua Sherman, owner and founder of Old Mill Road Media.
Favorite part of your job? My favorite part of my job is being able to express myself creatively with music and words.
Most inspiring mentor and why: My most inspiring mentor is Dr. Joshua Sherman. Through his work with 1761 Arts, Old Mill Road Media, and Old Mill Road Recording, he gave me the artistic platform that I needed to develop my musical and writing style.
What is the best career advice you have received? The best career advice I have received is to put your whole heart into every single thing that you do.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: Few people know that I really love to cook. I'm not that good at it, but I like to throw some things together and see what happens. I've come up with some delicious recipes that way.
What three words best describe you: Three words that best describe me are creative, driven, and focused.
Favorite Vermont escape: My favorite Vermont escape is my mountain house on the top of Swearing Hill in Sandgate. Followed closely by Hamilton Falls in Jamaica, VT.
Favorite downtime activity: My favorite downtime activity is to listen to some beautiful music and reflect on my day.
Favorite Super Hero and why: My favorite super hero is Superman because he juggles two opposite lives and identities. As a musician and writer I relate to having two separate sides of myself.
Favorite Social Media and why: My favorite social media is Instagram because as a musician and a writer I'm not incredibly artistically minded in a visual sense. I love to see what visual artists are up to and learn more about their process.
Person you would most like to share a Vermont beverage with: The person I'd most like to share a Vermont beverage with would be Bill Wilson if he was still alive. It would be a non-alcoholic beverage since both of us chose sober life, and I would thank him for his contribution to the recovery community.
If you had unlimited access to funds, which cause(s) would you support: The cause I would support is recovery-centric/sober housing housing and after-treatment mental healthcare and employment programs. Especially in underprivileged communities.
What one song is on your playlist that are you embarrassed to tell your best friend: The song on my playlist I would be embarrassed to tell my best friend is Malibu by Miley Cyrus.
Where do you see yourself professionally in the next 5-10 years? In the next 5-10 years I'd like to continue to work as hard as I can to spread awareness about recovery through my music and my writing. The larger the audience, the better.
What career goal(s) would you like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years? The career goals I'd like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years include writing a published book, inking a record deal with a major label, and receiving a drug counseling certification in the state of Vermont so I can work here part time as a certified drug counselor.
How has your community service changed since the pandemic? My community service during the pandemic has changed to involve more outreach over online platforms such as Zoom. Although the pandemic has limited my face-to-face interaction with friends and acquaintances in the recovery community, there are still many wonderful ways to connect and help others.
How has your job changed since this pandemic? During the pandemic, my job has changed in terms of the amount of work that is done remotely. Many musicians send manuscripts over the internet to have them approved before they come record their sessions. Many interviews I do for my magazine articles are now over the phone.