She performed under the tutelage of virtuoso Isaac Stern, was mentored on the jazz circuit by Betty Carter, and won a Grammy with Kanye West for “Jesus Walks.” Not to mention she has four albums under he own name. And that’s only part of Miri Ben-Ari‘s résumé. The “Hip-Hop Violinist”/composer/arranger has created a unique space for herself in the music business where she’s managed to meld her wide array of experiences into what she describes as soulful hip-hop and R&B. Along the way, the Israeli artist has also become an activist through her Gedenk Movement organization, which helps educate young people about the Holocaust.
Ben-Ari will serve as the closing act for the Washington Jewish Music Festival tonight and recently spoke to DCist about her experiences as a musician.
How did you get started playing the violin?
I was trained classically in Israel, which is a great place to study classical music. It’s in the European tradition. At the time, Isaac Stern had a group in Jerusalem of gifted young musicians who he personally invested in. It was very unique. Having classical technique to that degree definitely gave me the foundation to be the artist I am today.
How did the classical training influence what you do today?
The ability to read, write, and arrange music is something you always use. Every time I do an arrangement for popular music, I utilize my classical training. I got to see the world through classical music and learned that it (classical music) wasn’t what I wanted to do.
The stylistic difference between what you’re known for doing now is drastically different from how you started. How did you make the transition?
I came to the States to study jazz. Jazz gave me the foundation to improvise and from there compose my original music. My name is the “Hip-Hop Violinist” but really I write soulful music– hip-hop and R&B. Many times people don’t understand how I can play hip-hop. I’m an improviser. I’ve played with some of the best jazz musicians in the world. Wynton Marsallis is on my last album. Betty Carter introduced me to the jazz scene.
