Benjamin Goldwasser

Benjamin Goldwasser
Goldwasser performing at Red Rocks in 2010.
Background information
Birth name	Benjamin Nicholas Hunter Goldwasser
Born	(1982-12-17) December 17, 1982 (age 34) Mishawaka, Indiana, U.S.
Origin	Westport, New York, U.S.
Genres	Neo-psychedelia, new wave, synthpop, art rock, alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, keyboard, synthesizer, guitar, drums, percussion, omnichord, organ, computer
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Columbia Records, Red Ink Records (an imprint of Columbia Records), Cantora Records
Associated acts	MGMT

Benjamin Nicholas "Ben" Hunter Goldwasser (born December 17, 1982) is a songwriter and musician in the psychedelic rock band MGMT, for which he primarily plays keyboards and sings. In 2009, his song "Electric Feel" (co-written with bandmate Andrew VanWyngarden), remixed by Justice, won a Grammy Award in the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category. In 2010, his band was nominated for a Grammy as Best New Artist and Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Goldwasser was born in Mishawaka, Indiana, the son of Rachel Hunter and David Goldwasser. He was raised in Westport, New York. Goldwasser is Jewish on his father's side. When he was eleven years old, he saw Adrian Belew live in concert, and met guitarist Rob Fetters backstage. He began piano lessons with his grandmother and mother, played in his high school's jazz band, and attended a "rock and roll camp" in Montpelier, Vermont. One of his musical influences in high school was the electronic protopunk band Suicide.

Goldwasser met Andrew VanWyngarden, the other half of MGMT, in his freshman year at Wesleyan University. Goldwasser was studying Music at the time. While in college, he was a member of the Eclectic Society, a college fraternity. He helped run the fraternity's music venue (a room in the house). Goldwasser, already a keyboardist, took experimental music classes from composer Ron Kuivila with VanWyngarden which exposed them to progressive musical ideas. They made their debut as MGMT at a party in a college dormitory (playing the theme to the motion picture Ghostbusters over and over for hours). The duo would email one another and sign the emails "The MGMT" as a way of satirizing corporate culture. They chose this email signature line as the name of their new band.