Miles Benson Music

Biography

If there is any other information that you would like to know and it is NOT in the biography section, please contact Miles in the Contact Me page and he will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Miles Benson- Vocals, Guitars

Before recently leaving for Athens, Georgia to attend college at the University of Georgia, Miles lived the rest of his life in Forsyth, a small city just north of Macon. On December 10, 1989, he was born into quite a family, considering his mother was in one of three sets of twins, with a total of 12 brothers and sisters. This is the very family that would influence the lyrics to the song "The Bryant Side of Me," one of Miles' first songs. As any normal boy, he grew up constantly arguing and fighting with his older brother, trying out different sports, and trying to keep the best grades possible in school. It was middle school that Miles would first enter the world of music when he was taught, by an older friend, how to play a few songs on guitar. Soon, he would purchase his first guitar and begin learning new songs and techniques on his own without any professional training. Not long after beginning guitar, he would also join his school's concert and marching bands, enabling him to grasp a broader knowledge of music and it's capabilities. Without those experiences, however, Miles would not have been influenced to take the path he is currently on. Nowadays, Miles can often be found stuck inside of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia, practicing away for that next lesson or preparing to become a Music Therapist. It is in his free time away from classes that he works on writing, recording, and performing his own songs. Thus far, Miles has already recorded a small demo-project entitled "Reality (Alphabet Soup)." It was in the comfort of his own bedroom where he was able to record 8 of his songs, highlighting the basic vocals and guitars in each song. He is now working on recording older and newer material with newly obtained recording equipment. Furthermore, he is constantly looking for gigs and hoping that friends and strangers alike will hear his music and spread the word. While he has only been playing guitar for nearly 7 years, he hopes to continue this part of his life with the goal of making a profitable life for himself and his family.

After just one year of playing guitar, Miles joined a jam session between Cohen Anderson (the older friend who taught him to play a few songs on guitar) and Cale Gilstrap. He soon fell right into place as a rhythm guitarist and a classic rock trio was set. However, the group still lacked a bass guitarist. That's when another fellow friend, Jake Smith, was taught to play bass and he too joined up not long after. A few gigs were lined up and then a name was created- Concrete Miles (no reference to Miles' name). This group stayed together for nearly three years before each musician began to go their separate ways when dealing with musical tastes. Around this time Miles had met up with a friend from high school, Chip Bell, who seemed to like much of the same music as he did and they began playing together in their spare time. Not long after, they asked Jake to tag along and make a blues group with them. Still needing a drummer, the group talked to Cale who was eager to join. After performing a select number of shows with Cale, he soon joined the United States Marines and still remains in service. Stuck in a drummer-less situation, Miles, Chip, and Jake all remembered a friend from their high school marching band who played quite a bit of drums. Richard Chambliss then became the drummer of the group that is now known as 42. However this name is still quite new. First, the group was still named Concrete Miles as that was the band that most people knew Miles and Jake from. The group then dropped that name yet couldn't decide on anything else, so Miles Benson & Friends had to suffice for a couple of performances. Finally, after much discussion and debate, the group agreed on 42, as it is "the answer to life, the universe, and everything." Even though Miles is now separated from the rest of 42, he still gets together with them when playing opportunities arise back home in Forsyth. While in Athens, he tries to find opportunities for down-scaled, acoustic sets that accentuate many of the songs he has written.

Jake Smith- Bass Guitar

Jacob Smith, often called "Big Jake" has lived all 22 years of his life in the small city of Forsyth, Georgia. He also attended Mary Persons High School, a AAA Division school. There, he played baritone in the marching band and now often serves as an equipment aid during season games and performances. Jake first decided to learn bass guitar when a classmate by the name of Cohen Anderson came to him and told him that his band needed a bassist. Not having owned a bass guitar of his own, he borrowed the school's bass which was never being used and began figuring out various songs. Since then, Jake has been steadily picking for nearly 7 years. Jake has always been around music and the theater, considering that his mother is a dance teacher and often helps out with community theater, which greatly aided in his journey to becoming a rock and blues bassist, After his first band, Concrete Miles split up, he continued playing with fellow band mate Miles Benson in a small blues ensemble Miles was getting together. Till this day, Jake continues to play local concerts with Miles, Chip Bell, and Richard Chambliss in the band 42, and when he is not performing with them, is working and doing some bass playing at a local music shop's open mic nights.