Musician’s love for Hamtramck is music to the ears of schools

Musician Benjamin Borowiak lives on through an organization called “Ben’s Encore.”

By Mike Murphy
Special to The Review
Not-for-profit organization Ben’s Encore recently donated $2,500 and a drum set to the Hamtramck School District to show its appreciation to the city for all it’s done for local music.
Since volunteers formed the organization four years ago to honor the memory of local musician Benjamin Borowiak, who died in 2011 at the age of 29, Ben’s Encore has sponsored several “spotlight concerts” to raise funds for local schools.
Ben’s Encore is also the beneficiary of proceeds from the Hamtramck Music Festival, another all volunteer undertaking.
“If Hamtramck wasn’t one of Ben’s favorite places to play, it was certainly up there. He loved the close-knit community,” Ben’s Encore Executive Director Chris Hemler said.
“Ben was straight-up passionate,” Hemler said. “He was passionate about music. He was in many local bands and he invited many area musicians to play at his practice space in Ferndale. He was also passionate about charity.”
Borowiak was active in several area charities, including Blight Busters and Habitat for Humanity.
Hemler said that when Borowiak died in 2011 due to complications from epilepsy, which struck him following an accident in 2000 with a drunken driver, his friends wanted to throw him a party instead of a funeral.
The volunteers decided to throw a “Bennyfit” with many of the local musicians who Borowiak befriended.
They ended up raising $5,000 for Borowiak’s alma mater, De La Salle High School in Warren, and the “Bennyfit” is now an annual event. Ben’s Encore’s held its 2014 “Bennyfit” at Small’s in Hamtramck.
“We love the support the city gives to music and we’re pleased to be welcome there,” Hemler said.
That first “Bennyfit” served as inspiration for Borowiak’s friends to form Ben’s Encore, a charitable organization dedicated to providing opportunities for local musicians and music lessons and musical instruments, especially for kids in underserved school districts like Hamtramck’s.
Hemler said that in the future, Ben’s Encore plans to provide free after school music lessons to its partner school districts.
“Our goal is to eliminate barriers for kids to learn instruments, so we’re bringing the lessons to the schools,” Hemler said.