Ben Silver: Three Questions, Three Answers

Ben on the shoulder of Mt. Whitney, in the CA High Sierras

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Spokane, Washington, right along ‘the bluff’ on the south hill. It is 1,000 acres of public land with trails winding up and down the hillside. I’d spend my free time riding my bike along the trails, looking for places to build forts, and exploring all around the landscape. It was an early contributor to my love of hiking, exploring, and being outdoors.

Who is your favorite band/musician?

My favorite musician is guitarist Trey Anastasio. As a guitarist and saxophone player myself, I love how Trey is able to take musical and improvisational concepts usually limited to jazz and apply them to genres like rock and roll, funk, and bluegrass. Then in a different vein, he writes symphonic epics and performs original compositions with full symphonies across the country. He always seems like he is having fun, which inspires me to find fun in how I spend my time.

What is your favorite thing about the PNW?

I love the incredible diversity of environments across the Pacific Northwest. There aren’t many other places in the country where you can go from dry pine forest to arid desert to rain forest in a half day or less of driving. Specifically, the Olympic Peninsula is incredibly special, and I can’t think of anything better to put life into context than to take a long walk through the wild forests in the Olympics. Getting into the beautiful PNW backcountry helps me to balance the intensity of living in city.