Ben Nelson grew up in a family of old-time musicians in the Virginia mountains. A passionate educator and community builder, he has worked as an elementary school science instructor, naturalist, traditional music teacher, and square-dance caller. Ben has taught music and dance at Warren Wilson College, the Junior Appalachian Musicians program (JAM), and traditional music camps throughout the U.S. He regularly performs in a duo with Becky Hill, was a founding member of the prize-winning young string band The Moose Whisperers, and received the Thomas J. Watson Fellow in 2005.