Derek Benjamin Music

About

Derek Benjamin is the definition of a modern day producer: A masterful engineer, musician, songwriter, vocalist and more.  His ability to combine creativity, advanced knowledge and versatility truly opens the door for any artist or project.

Shortly after graduating high school while working in the northern Alberta oil sands, Derek received the gift of a lifetime.  It was a simple USB mic, but it allowed Derek to realize his deep passion for creating and performing music.  The love of recording and experimenting musically grew quickly, as did the belief that a future in music was attainable.  From then on, Derek spent countless hours writing, producing and recording many different genres of music.  This led him to start performing and collaborating with other artists within the Hip-hop community.  After meeting Marc Herve in 2011, they formed a duo called “6Sigma”.  6Sigma went on to release an EP and multiple singles.  They gained regular radio play on stations such as Virgin Radio, as well as a regular feature in a TSN commercial and regular play at Winnipeg Jets home games.  6Sigma also performed over 15 shows in a short time, with some performances reaching 3000 in attendance.

After the success of 6Sigma, Derek decided to move to Vancouver, BC and enroll in the audio engineering and advanced production program at Nimbus School of Media.  He learnt from some of the best in the business and solidified the skills he had been building for years.  Derek graduated top of the class, receiving a letter of recommendation and a Nimbus gold record for most outstanding student.

Soon after, Derek moved back to Winnipeg to rebrand and manage Blackli$t Studios for over three years.  Working with a multitude of artist’s and genres.  Derek left Blackli$t to operate his own recording space in downtown Winnipeg for 2 years, until he and his partner purchased a new home in Winnipeg.  They renovated the basement into a fully functional, accredited recording studio and production suite that has been in operation for over four years.

In May of 2019, Derek attended a YMCA Business program, which helped him make the jump to working as a full time engineer and producer.  Derek has also been working closely with the CVE Performing Arts Production and Industry program to take on and train students as interns throughout the school year.

During the Covid 19 Pandemic of 2020-2021, running a home based business was increasingly difficult with public health orders limiting visitation and operations.  Derek then partnered with Private Ear Recording in February of 2021, and moved into Studio B to expand his business to a commercial location.