Ben Lee’s amazing brain and extraordinary reactions drive his deft fingers at supersonic speeds. His hands become a blur with the movements almost invisible to the naked eye.
He was named “Ultimate Superhuman”, speed category, in a Superhuman Showdown on the Discovery Channel in 2012.
This is just the tip of the iceberg in regards to the various accomplishments that Ben Lee has achieved.
He has gained world wide acclaim as the fastest electric violinist in the world.
His recognition is well deserved as it is clear to see that Ben Lee takes his music very seriously.
Image Credit: Sarah Monrose / Deep Springs Ent
Early History
Ben Lee was born in 1980 in Eastbourne, Sussex in the United Kingdom.
By the time he turned 11 it was clear that he was going to be someone to watch.
He demonstrated his potential abilities by winning a Television show competition at the age of 11 and soon after recording his first single.
The world paid attention to this young musician as evidenced by the very many scholarships he received to attend some of the top music schools as a teenager.
He continued to hone his skills and his hard work paid off when at 16, he was named the Young Jazz Composer of the year by the Daily Telegraph.
What Is His Superpower?
With his exceptional gift, it is not very surprising that he would grow up to be one of the world’s notable musicians.
He attended the Royal College of Music where he further developed his violin skills.
He has also worked with some of the most notable musicians of our time including Gorillaz, Arctic Monkeys, Emmy the Great, Goldfrapp, Mel C, Lightspeed Champion and White Lies among others.
He has also had the privilege of leading the Heritage Orchestra.
But perhaps the most famous of his achievements is the fact that he holds the Guinness World Record as the World’s Fastest Electric Violinist.
The previous record was held by David Garrett who played “Flight of the Bumblebee” in 58.515 seconds.
Ben Lee smashed about 4 seconds of this record to play “Flight of the Bumblebee” in 54.24 seconds. He still holds the record to date.
As amazing as the world record is, it is the circumstances surrounding his world record that enhances his superpower abilities.
In 2009, he was involved in an accident that threatened his violin playing abilities.
He was run over by a truck while exercising and injured his playing hand. His band-mate, Linzi Stoppard, encouraged his recovery and challenged him to break the record as a way to celebrate his recovery.
He appeared on the Alan Titchmarsh Show in his first attempt to break the record and despite the fact that he missed 3 notes, he went on to break the record a week later, setting a time of 64.21 seconds. In 2010, he would break the record again, setting a time of 58.515 seconds.
What we can Learn from Him?
For him to have reached the level of achievement we see in him, he must have had a lot of practice.
Therefore, the lesson we take away from Ben Lee is simple; practice makes perfect.
It doesn’t get any more perfect than Ben Lee. He took what he loved to do and made it his life and it is clear to see that he greatly enjoys playing.
It is a lesson to most young people that a little bit of passion, persistence and practice can lift anyone to superpower status.
For a young person with any artistic talent, Ben lee is an inspiring and motivational individual who has taken what he loves and magnified it to enormous proportions.
If he can do it, there is no reason why anyone else cannot.
Ben Lee On The Discovery Channel Beating His Record
It was massively rewarding, to play so quickly and beat my record.
He also demonstrates resilience to keep going even in the face of adversity.
This is evidenced by the fact that he refused to give up on his violin even after an accident threatened to end his career. He kept pushing and kept playing, a trait that no doubt played an important role in his success.
Genetic or Learned Superpower?
From listening to Ben it is clear that he has achieved his fantastic talents, through incredibly hard training and practice.
It helps that he started with his musical career at a young age as well.
For these reasons we are determining that this is primarily a learned super power, genetics may also play some part.
What is he currently doing?
By the end of 2007, he joined Linzi Stoppard to form FUSE. FUSE is a rock violin duo that signed their first major contract in 2009.
This £1 m deal was signed with Edel AG records and FUSE released their first album the following year.
The duo has performed at major concerts around the world including the C Music TV’s even at the 2008 Canes Film Festival.
Electric String Band FUSE Perform “Glorious” Live On Alan Titchmarsh ITV1
They also performed at the 2008 British Red Cross Fundraising Gala.
Ben Lee has also contributed his original compositions to film, TV and Fashion.
Videos and Links
Fuseband on Facebook
Fusebands website
