Freddie Benedict, Class of 2014

Freddie’s journey from Trinity to versatile musician and performer is a testament to resilience and passion. Initially grappling with learning difficulties, Trinity became his transformative haven, particularly through music. Under the guidance of mentors like David Swinson, he blossomed. Trinity instilled in Freddie the belief that music could be his career. As Head Chorister, he learnt valuable leadership lessons, shaping his approach to teamwork and mentorship. David’s mentorship was pivotal, equipping Freddie with technical prowess and the ability to sight read, essential for his later accomplishments. From performing at Carnegie Hall to voice acting, Freddie’s career spans diverse genres.

Can you share some insights into your time at Trinity and how it shaped your journey as a musician and performer?

Arriving at the school with learning difficulties, I initially struggled with many aspects of academia. Trinity helped me to grow through music. The music department, spearheaded by David Swinson, gave me tuition, I joined bands, went on tour, and had the opportunity to play in some of the most iconic venues around the world: Ronnie Scott’s, the Royal Festival Hall, the Madinat Jumeirah hotel in Dubai, and the Royal Opera House (to name a few). I learnt that this hobby might become a career. I even started a jazz band with some fellow students, which went on to professional success. My time at Trinity was incredibly positive. I’m very lucky to be doing what I’m doing now!

As Head Chorister, what experiences do you believe were most formative in preparing you for your diverse career in music?

As a child, I was often teased for being slow or “dopey”, so when David entrusted me to become Head Chorister, I began to believe in my organisational skills. I developed leadership skills that I didn’t think I had in me. Head Choristers don’t turn up late – they arrive early - a brilliant lesson for all work later in life. As Head Chorister, I helped the J-Bugs to find their feet on the Choristers’ courses –it taught me about empathy, and sharing your own experience to put others at ease.

The main lesson I learnt is that leadership isn’t about holding authority over someone else. It’s about positively influencing people to reach new heights, and being a hard-working example for your peers.

How did figures like David Swinson and your experiences with Trinity Boys’ Choir shape your artistic identity and approach to your craft?

David helped me to develop technicality as well as musicality. I could play instruments, but I looked too often into my copy without understanding it; I had neither theoretical knowledge nor sight-reading skills. He promised my parents on Open Day that he would guarantee that I could sight-read music within three years. Well, Mr Swinson, you delivered! Having the power to sight-read can distinguish jazzers in the professional world where there is little to no rehearsal time! I owe David more than I could pen now. He is surely the greatest musical director Trinity School could ever have asked for, and I will forever be indebted to his mentorship.

Reflecting on your journey from Trinity to your current accomplishments, what do you consider to be your biggest professional achievements so far?

In music, to play the Carnegie Hall, New York with my acappella group NoVI, was pretty cool! We were selected as a wildcard to perform at the ICCA’s competition. That venue is the stuff of dreams! Although we didn’t win, that night will be forever etched in my memory. In voice-acting, to play the young Diego Maradona in the documentary on his life was the perfect gig combination of my love of film and football. When casting, they sought a young man who had an understanding of football, could speak convincing Argentinian Spanish, as well as a decent level of Italian. Diego’s language was perhaps too colourfully expressive to repeat in this interview, but it gave me such insight into one of football’s treasured icons.

How has your training and experience as a classical soloist influenced your approach to jazz singing, and vice versa?

I have learnt to interchange the techniques of both genres, without ruining any of my vocal technique. The learning of that discipline I owe to my two singing teachers at Trinity, Kathy Fuge and Timothy Penrose (sadly no longer with us), as well as Bertie Rice who became my teacher when I was a choral scholar at King’s College, London. The refined and structured way of classical music enabled me with the discipline and precision to be more spontaneous and free-flowing in jazz. Both genres are about patterns, form, and feeling. Jazz is perhaps about breaking rules, but classical training helps to know what the rules are in the first place. I’m sure the same could be said for innovation in physics, not that I was ever good at that. In acting, the great teacher Constantin Stanislavski called it “rigorous rebellion”.

With such a broad range of vocal styles in your repertoire, from classical to jazz to acappella, how do you balance and navigate between them creatively?

I am inspired by the great trumpeter and educator Wynton Marsalis, who has succeeded in both! He says the first listener is not the audience, but the player. The principles of music are the same however you want to express yourself. I look at Grammy award winning jazzer Jacob Collier, who like my brother, Leo, started his singing career as Miles in Britten’s The Turn of The Screw. It is important to have a practice routine, and to find the practice techniques that cross over in both genres. Practising more advanced harmony and modes applies to both classical and jazz music. This helps me to improve my improvisatory skills, and keep my sight reading agile.

The National Youth Jazz Orchestra, or as we call it NYJO, gave career starts to Amy Winehouse and Sam Smith, shortly before I was there. They taught me to understand my voice as an instrument, rather like a trumpet playing lead in a horn section. It’s not easy sometimes with 25 musicians accompanying you, but any jazz singer will tell you to play with a big band is the coolest feeling! I also became much more conscious of how using a microphone alters how I project my baritone sound. With NoVI, as all the members come from different musical backgrounds, I’m constantly discovering new repertoire. It has helped me to trust my inner metronome, as without instrumentalists and percussionists, I have had to be more rigorous at keeping time.

You’ve ventured into acting and ADR (automated dialogue replacement) work alongside your music career. How do these different creative outlets complement each other, and what challenges do they present?

Music and acting both demand precision, intuition and involve acting and reacting. As much with acting as with music, sometimes things are notated, sometimes improvisatory (particularly in jazz). Having a musical ear helps when I re-voice characters, dub into foreign languages and use a variety of British accents. My musical experiences have helped me to see the rhythm of certain words sung and unsung; music and acting both tease this out. They bring a greater awareness of sounds. Working to replace dialogue in films and TV means I have had the chance to work on some really cool projects like Bob Marley: One Love, Vikings, The Crown and even being a Scouser in the BAFTA award winning series, The Responder.

How has being proficient in multiple languages enriched your performances and collaborations in different cultural contexts?

I travel with my work and I wouldn’t have had as many gigs abroad had it not been for my linguistic competence in French, Spanish, and Portuguese. This started at Trinity, when I participated in a public Spanish-speaking competition at the Spanish Embassy, when I was placed 4th in the UK. Music, like language, is about pronunciation, vocabulary memory, listening skills. And crucially relaxing into the process of failure! They are very emotive media too, so they have helped me develop awareness here too. Being able to mimic famous people also keeps fellow musicians amused, much as it did when I was at Trinity and could imitate some of the teachers! I have learnt that the ability to laugh at yourself and with others can keep you sane in the unpredictable world of the freelancer!

What are some of your upcoming projects or aspirations in music and other creative endeavours?

Last year, I recorded seven tracks with my band and soon I will release my first album! My late father, when I was at Trinity, always said to me: “Write your own ticket, kid!” and he mentioned it again in my birthday card, four years ago, shortly before he died. I owe it to him and the rest of my family to honour his request! I look forward to sharing it with you all.