THERE is a musical star rising in Bermuda and his name is Ben Lusher. At age 16 his list of accomplishments includes winning the Bermuda Teen Idol singing competition in 2006, as well as helping to create and playing with the award-winning band The Unit, the Bermudian jazz combo representing the island in February at the Havana International Jazz Festival.

The budding Bermudian musician has another achievement to add to his already impressive resume. He will be playing with the prestigious Grammy Jazz Ensemble, a band comprised of 30 of the best teen musicians drawn from schools across North America.

The band will be attending the televisied Grammy Awards show as well as performing in a host of other Grammy-related events.

Ben spoke with the Mid-Ocean News about his burgeoning career and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with the Grammy band, a goal he set for himself several years ago.

"I started playing the piano at age four," said Ben. "I come from a family of musicians. Both my grandparents on my mother's side were jazz musicians.

"They were located in New York and Los Angeles and my grandfather was head of the keyboard division at Yamaha.He was also heavily involved with the famed Monterey Jazz Festival – one of the most famous jazz festivals in the world."

Being exposed to the musical world at a young age had a life-long impact on Ben.

"I have memories of my grandparents playing the piano and me sitting next to my grandfather and playing along," he said. "My grandparents playing music was my earliest inspiration to play and it sparked my interest in jazz. Most 16-year-olds aren't into Miles Davis."

Ben started playing the piano at age four and as he got older he learned to play the saxophone as well. At age 11 he started singing. "When I started singing, I started by singing along with everything that I heard," he said. "Singing began as a totally new way to express myself that I couldn't necessarily get from the piano.

"When I was 12 I started taking it really seriously. Along with piano I knew singing was something I wanted to pursue wholeheartedly."

Ben, who now goes to boarding school at The Masters School in New York state, started performing while he was attending Warwick Academy.

Gaining experience and confidence through performing at Warwick, he entered into the popular singing contest Bermuda Teen Idol.

"I entered the Teen Idol competition in 2006 when I was 13 and I ended up winning," he said. "That gave me the confidence and solidified in my mind that singing was something that I could really do. The Teen Idol competition was the first time I had performed singing without accompanying myself on piano. The piano was still huge in my life but singing was also taking off at the same time."

Ben has studied at various institutions to help perfect his craft: "Since I was 13 I've been studying voice and piano overseas," he said. " I studied at Stanford University Jazz Residency and the Skidmore College Jazz Institute. That was a great opportunity to meet a lot of incredible musicians and teachers."

In 2007 Ben would help form The Unit, the jazz band which later went on to beat out four other groups in a "Battle of the Bands" competition on Father's Day and which will be representing Bermuda at the upcoming 2009 Havana Jazz Festival in Cuba.

Ben described how the members first met and a group was born: "I was making a guest appearance at the 2007 Bermuda Teen Idol because I was the previous year's winner."

Playing in the band accompanying the singers were Andwele Simons, the future drummer for The Unit, and John Lee, its future bassist.

"On a whim during sound check I went and played piano a little bit with them and a little while later Andwele approached me and said he was interested in playing a lot more," said Ben. "Since then we rehearsed a little bit, played a few gigs and then it became a working unit along with Lionel Edwards on saxophone and Bob Lansing on guitar."

Ben said a bond was quickly established which led to them entering a competition that led to the band being selected to represent Bermuda at a leading regional jazz festival..

"We all had a great connection immediately, especially Andwele and I because we are the youngest members of the group and musically we have a great connection," said Ben.

"We decided to enter this competition which was held on Father's Day at the Leopards Club. The winner of the competition got to go perform in the Havana International Jazz Festival in February 2009 and we won."

Practice makes perfect, experience leads to confidence and soon Ben decided to apply to join next year's line-up of one of the most prestigious bands for teen jazz musicians in North America, the Grammy Jazz Ensemble.

"The Grammy Jazz Ensemble programme is unique in that it brings together exceptionally talented vocalists and instrumentalists from high schools across the country to form a jazz choir, combo and band," said a spokesman for the Grammy Foundation.

"Established in 1989, the intent is to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture.

"These young people come to Los Angeles to play with their peers and Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning artists at a range of Grammy Week events. Many say it is one of the most powerful and influential opportunities ever and truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Mr. Lusher recalled the first time he heard about the Grammy youth band and how he ended up applying for a place.

"I first heard about the band when I was at a summer jazz camp a few years ago," he said. "Among high school musicians, the Grammy Band has always been the most respected accolade that you can get as a high school musician.

"It's something I hoped to one day be a part of but I wasn't able to apply because I live in Bermuda.

"To apply you have to be a resident of the United States. When I went to boarding school in the US I was able to apply because I reside there.

"Thinking of it as a long shot I applied as a singer.

"When I applied I had to sing two jazz songs and then a song of my choice and then tell a little about myself. I did that put it on video tape and waited to see what would happen."

Describing the day he heard the good news that he had been accepted into the band, Ben said: "I came home to Bermuda over Thanksgiving break and got a call at home saying I was accepted into the Grammy Band.

"I was so happy I almost dropped the phone."

Mr. Lusher will be singing bass in the 2009 Grammy Jazz Choir which will comprise of eight people – four female and four male.

The ensemble will perform at various Grammy Week events including public performances. For the first time ever, the ensemble will perform at the Grammy's Person of the Year tribute on February 6, which this year will honor legendary singer/songwriter Neil Diamond.

As a grand finale, they will attend the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on February 8 as guests of The Recording Academy and will perform at the Grammy Celebration After Party.

"Considering how I've always thought of the Grammy Band as this huge goal and a milestone that I wanted to be a part of it's really an amazing thing," said Ben.

"To be a member of this incredible group is the greatest accomplishment of my musical life so far."