Mu favorite thing

My Favorite Pittsburgh Thing To Do With Kids: Ben Alper

Pittsburgh-raised singer-songwriter Ben Alper has been entertaining local music fans for well over a decade with his original band, Cranberry Sanders; his Dave Matthews Band tribute band, One Sweet Burgh; or playing solo and duo acoustic shows.

More recently he’s added his 8-month-old son, Jackson, to his fan base.

Ben, who has a day job working as a relationship strategist at PNC Wealth Management, and his wife, Katie, an elementary special education teacher, live in Cranberry, along with their canine compadre, Lennon.

Their favorite thing to do?  In good weather, the family enjoys walks around North Park Lake. They love the natural setting – as well as getting in a workout at the same time.

When the weather doesn’t cooperate, Ben gets a kick out of introducing his small son to music.

“Jackson is already discovering his favorite songs, whether he’s playing tambourine along to Dr. John or settling down to Paul Simon’s ‘Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,’ ” says Ben, who is looking forward to many days of jamming out together.