Folksinger, balladeer, educator, songwriter, and Earthwork Music Collective member Ben Traverse commands a wide array of instruments in their mission to bring the finest traditional folk music into the 21st century. With deep roots in the Great Lakes State, they travel Michigan and beyond telling stories and truths as old as the hills.

With deep roots in Michigan, Traverse finds themself  in good company as a member of the Earthwork Music Collective, using traditional music as a vehicle for education, equity, and environmental action.

Despite not coming from a musical family, Traverse has been drawn to live music since they held their first guitar – a gift from their grandfather – at two years old. Ben’s musical journey truly began nearly a decade ago at an after-school program presented by Earthwork Music and SEEDS celebrating Alan Lomax’s 1938 ethnomusicological expedition to Michigan and Wisconsin. 

Always having a keen interest in history, especially from a cultural perspective, traditional music quickly became Traverse’s biggest passion. After moving to Grand Rapids and getting a degree in audio engineering, they quickly became heavily involved working behind the scenes with many West Michigan acts. If you frequent local concerts, you’ve probably seen Ben slinging merch or a poster they hung up!

Since then, Traverse has spent the better part of a decade cutting their teeth playing listening rooms, festivals, and bars. He’s found his passion steeping himself in the rich history of traditional folk music and using folk music as a vehicle for community, collaboration, education, and environmental and social activism.

2021 marked the beginning of Traverse’s chapter as a recording folk artist with the release of Songs of the Lakes, Rivers, and Seas: Shanties, Forecastle Songs, and Other Maritimes Ballads, a collaborative collection of sea shanties with Michael Dause (Moss Manor, Treeskin) under the name Shantyland, bridging the high seas and the Great Lakes.

2022 saw two releases, the solo full length LP Old Time American Music and the EP In the Moment, both aimed at capturing the feel of early Folkways recordings of a person in a room singing songs, intimate and raw.

In 2023, Traverse continued their path of collaborative music efforts, this time with fellow Manistee-raised musician Nick Veine. This new album, Me Grief and Tears to Smother: Traditional Songs and Ballads of the Irish Diaspora, celebrates both their deep history of music and friendship, as well as the music of Ireland.

Photo by Liz Tiffany