Ben Lorenz, co-founder of the Washtenaw County-based recording studio Willis Sound and the Ann Arbor-based eCommerce and digital marketing agency Human Element, died on Saturday, December 27. An announcement was made on the Human Element Facebook page.

David Roof, who runs Rooftop Recording out of Grand Blanc and has been friends with Lorenz since 11th grade, wrote this in a post on the A2 Music History Facebook page:

We lost a pillar of the Ann Arbor music community this weekend. Ben Lorenz, drummer for the Restroom Poets and October Babies. He founded the musical collective Oddfellow Music with his long time musical partner Jason McGee and a number of other awesome creative individuals. That eventually closed in order to refurbish and create Willis Sound. Ben was a kind, generous soul who was positive about the potential of others. He will be sorely missed.

You can read more tributes to Lorenz on his Facebook page.

Lorenz was also the drummer for 16 More Miles, which featured members of Restroom Poets and October Babies. Below is a selection of recordings and videos from Lorenz's various musical projects.