Ben Ranson to bring intense guitar, humorous lyrics to Jan. 20 Headwaters concert
Jan. 13—His lyrics might be light and funny, but when it comes to playing guitar, Ben Ranson is no joke.
The former Bemidji State University student, now living in Sandstone, Minn., will perform a concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, at Headwaters Music and Arts, 519 Minnesota Ave. NW.
It's one of three musical events on tap at Headwaters over the next two months. On Feb. 3, Bemidji songwriter Doyle Turner will open for headliner Kelley Smith of Brainerd, and on Feb. 17, Headwaters music instructors will be featured in an annual showcase called "Cozy Cabin Jam."
Ranson said his audience can expect complex guitar music and humorous original pieces like 'Blinded by the Whiteness of Your Teeth,'" a song he says is about "a relationship gone sour but in an unusual way." He accompanies his strange songs with sophisticated nylon-string guitar featuring extended solo improvisation.
"They're going to get intense guitar, with a mix of blues, jazz, flamenco and bluegrass styles," Ranson said. "If I sit down and write a song that is deliberately humorous, people are not necessarily thinking about how you're singing it except in the sense of the delivery. What they want to hear is meaning. So what I'm trying to do is communicate meaning."
Ranson grew up in Sebeka, Minn. He spent his senior year of high school living in Fargo and taking post-secondary classes at North Dakota State University. He also was playing guitar in a few bands in the Fargo-Moorhead area and starting to write his own songs.
After some time away from school that included a car trip across the United States, Ranson was visiting his brother in Boston when he stopped in at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. That led to an audition and acceptance into the program. Meanwhile, he took general classes at Bemidji State, saving money because his mother, Barbara, was a math instructor at the school.
After graduating from Berklee, Ranson returned to Sebeka and helped his father care for Barbara, who died in 2010 after a long illness.
Ranson has spent most of the last dozen years wandering around the region, writing songs, teaching lessons and playing at house parties, breweries and art galleries. Prior to the Jan. 20 concert, he will teach a workshop on unaccompanied musical improvisation at Headwaters.
Tricia Andrews, executive director at Headwaters Music and Arts, said the Ben Ranson concert and workshop are examples of the organization living its mission.
"Ben heard that we're a friendly venue for a smaller show," Andrews said. "That is kind of our niche, with 100 to 130 people in the audience. And we have the physical space to throw in a master class. That's why we're here, to offer high-quality music and arts experiences to the community."
Tickets for the concert are $10 and should be purchased in advance at Headwaters or online at
Details about the workshop also are available online.
Doyle Turner says Kelley Smith is "kind of like a cross between June Carter Cash and Cat Stevens." The two have connected through the singer-songwriter scene in Minnesota.
"She's just been tearing it up with all the festivals she's been playing," said Turner. "She's astounding. What she writes about is so relevant and pertinent to today. She's a massive talent."
Turner will open the 6 p.m. concert on Saturday, Feb. 3, with a variety of his own original songs. The
Bemidji musician released a solo album
called "Sweet Difficult Sounds" in 2022 and recently teamed with duo partner Ted Hajnasiewicz to release "Together, We are The International Treasures."
Turner was a finalist in the 2023 Red Lodge Songwriting Contest.
Smith's critically acclaimed 2022 record "Moon Child" has led her from writing songs in her Brainerd area home to performing on stages all across the Upper Midwest, including an appearance on Bemidji's own "PBS Backroads."
She will be joined by Jed LaPlant on upright bass for the Bemidji concert. LaPlant is the frontman for Wild Horses, a popular band from Grand Rapids.
Tickets for the concert are priced at $15 and should be purchased in advance at Headwaters or online at
For several years, Headwaters Music and Arts has been holding an instructor showcase to celebrate the talents of its music teachers. This year's event is called Cozy Cabin Jam, to be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17.
Attendees are invited to wear flannel, fleece or buffalo plaid.
"It's an opportunity for the instructors to work together," Andrews said. "One piano teacher is going to accompany a voice teacher when she sings songs that she's prepared. Three of our teachers all teach trumpet and they're going to do a trumpet ensemble."
In addition to the music, Headwaters art instructors will have their work on display during the evening.
Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for children. They may be purchased at Headwaters or online at
