Benjamin Barnes aka Bencasso

Benjamin Barnes (aka Bencasso) is a genre-crossing violinist, educator, and mental health advocate. He’s the owner of Bencasso LLC and founder of Culture Scholar Corporation, a 501(c)(3) serving underserved communities with therapeutic arts. A grandstudent of Jascha Heifetz, he performs classical, jazz, bluegrass, and rock. He’s released over 110 recordings, led Deadweight (5 albums, Lucky Strike winners), Swindlefish (2 albums), and the Rilke String Quartet (3 albums). A documentary tells his story surviving a suicide attempt, TBI, and living with schizoaffective disorder, PTSD, and anxiety. He won a San Francisco Artist Award, trained in film editing with Emmy nominee Eric Deinzer, and runs 25+ media channels. Host of “The Coaches Corner” on the nationally syndicated Price of Business, he coaches artistpreneurs and champions mental health and elder care. Benjamin welcomes collaborators, volunteers, and projects that make a difference.