In the spring of 2006, Ben finally received some television publicity for his 2001-2008 longtime work with the Providence Bruins.  Around February, a sports producer for WLNE-TV ABC6 Providence contacted Ben.  Why?  ABC6 wanted to do a featured story on the Providence Bruins’ young organist.  Ben happily obliged, and during the intermission of a Bruins game soon after, Ben sat down in the press box for an in-depth interview.  Those who viewed the piece watched as a candid Ben discussed the motivation it takes to be a sports organist.  Peppered throughout the piece were clips of Ben playing his keyboard “at full steam.”  At the end of the report, veteran ABC6 anchor Walter Cryan remarked on-air, “It kind of makes you wonder what you did with your life.”

Not one month after the airing of this featured story on WLNE-TV ABC6, another local news station sat down with Ben for a somewhat more irreverent interview.  (To be exact, it really was two local news stations, as WPRI-TV CBS Channel 12 and WNAC-TV Fox Providence are owned by the same company and share personnel and a studio.  And this new interview aired on both stations.)  Regardless, this featured story was patterned on the types of interviews local news stations often broadcast with college and professional athletes.  The sports reporter delivered such jocular remarks as:  “This kid has played in every single game for the Providence Bruins, yet many fans don’t even know what he looks like.”  He later asked Ben, “What with your success, do you find it difficult to stay grounded?” and “What do you think of your prospects for the next five years?”  Of course, these are questions typically intended for athletes, not organists; but with them, the reporter put a humorous spin on the interview and showed another side of Ben Schwartz.

The YouTube video embedded into this webpage contains both local news stories, but has severely reduced quality (also, the audio track is delayed by approximately 3 seconds).  If you’d like to see these local news stories in DVD or VHS format, please e-mail Ben at ben@benschwartz.net with your request.

The New England Sports Network, commonly known as NESN, is the flagship regional cable channel for the Boston Bruins.  On Wednesday, February 21, 2007, a camera crew was dispatched to the Dunkin' Donuts Center for a segment about the Providence Bruins to air during NESN's wildly popular Top-10 show, The Buzz, hosted by Hazel Mae.  On Tuesday, February 27, 2007, this 4-minute “Road Trip to Providence” segment aired on NESN in the “Number 9” countdown slot.  Among the highlights of the segment is its short but sweet interview with Ben.  As Ben’s name flashes across the screen with the title “Youngest Organist in Pro Sports,” Ben discusses the fact that the “vintage sounds of the trusty old organ” are so integral to the game of hockey.  In fact, if one listens closely to the entire video, Ben’s music can be heard quite clearly at many times pumping up the fans—and the players.  To learn more about The Buzz and NESN, visit their website.