Ben Shaw loves to make music. Not only is he a singer and songwriter, he is a jazz saxophonist and composer, a composer of 21st century classical music, a poet, a writer of short-stories, and a music journalist, among many other pursuits. When asked why he chooses to work in such a diverse range of styles and mediums, Shaw has said that he feels compelled to because “After spending so much time in the early years of my practice doubting and maligning everything I wrote or played, I’ve worked hard to rid myself of the high expectations I put on myself. Now, without that burden, I feel free to try anything that comes to mind and to engage in my own creativity, all for the simple joy of making something new.”