Meridian Flow is a local project made up of Ian Franklin Wilkerson and Ben Lewis (with recent additions of bassist Jeff Erekson and drummer Dale Schiro). Born out of shared interests and similar life phases, Meridian Flow has been a revitalizing creative effort for the duo. Choosing to hone in on their frustration over social stances and use it as an outlet for this project has created a beautiful bond and friendship. Outside of music, Ian and Ben have established their own thriving businesses, families, and lifestyles; at this stage of life, they’re making music for the love of the game.
Ian first started playing guitar when he was 12 years old. His uncle taught him how to play a few songs, and from there, he learned by ear. He didn’t start diving into more of the complexities until he was in his mid-teens. He started his first band, Gollum, when he was 16 and began gigging around Santa Rosa. They put out an album called the Precious EP (hello LOTR fans!). He was inspired and shaped musically by mid-90s rock-pop, when bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden were in their prime years. As a side hustle, he booked shows and put on events in the Santa Rosa area. When he was 22, he set off for Berklee, where he earned his bachelor’s in music therapy and songwriting.
In 2008, he finished his clinical internship and became a board-certified music therapist. He started his private practice, Bay Area Music Therapy, which he still owns and operates remotely. He and his team focus on all sectors of music therapy. Ian has worked extensively with neuro rehab, severe mental illness, and special needs. He enjoys the dynamic approach, as he’s able to reach and help many forms of mental illness through the power of music. Ian moved his family to Meridian in 2020 and keeps his caseload virtually while managing his team in California. He makes the trip once a month to visit with patients that aren’t able to connect via telehealth. He started his Idaho entity, Center for Healing Expression, after moving to Idaho. The company is less music-centric and more focused around another passion of his: breathwork and emotional release. Ian is also a third-generation Reichian breathwork practitioner, so this expansion of offerings came naturally when creating the Center for Healing Expression. He hopes to grow and attract practitioners within the Idaho entity that can specialize in various avenues of creative expression.
Ben grew up with a musical family in Ohio. His father played acoustic guitar, and his mother sang in church. He joined the concert band as a trumpet player when he was in middle school and the jazz band in high school. He was about 15 when he discovered his love for guitar, teaching himself by ear. He attended Kent State University before moving out to California, where he was a regular at all the Bay Area rock shows. He started getting into metal and heavier rock and formed a punk rock band named Gazelle. The band became weekend warriors playing shows all around Sacramento and San Francisco. The band eventually evolved into “the Variable” with different members, including Ben’s sister on vocals. After his sister moved back to Ohio, he formed another band called “Joose,” which stayed active until he moved his family to Idaho in 2020.
Like Ian, Ben is entrepreneurial at heart and has owned his own health insurance brokerage company since 2003 called JC Lewis Insurance. He’s able to run the company remotely and is licensed in several states, including our lovely Idaho.
Ian and Ben both share roots in the Santa Rosa area and ran in similar circles but didn’t know each other until they met in Boise. They crossed paths outside the Department of Health and Human Services doing sound for an activism rally protesting medical mandates during the pandemic. They both left California for similar reasons, seeking a more freedom-minded state. They naturally became friends based on their shared perspectives, values, and similar family dynamics. It became a synergistic step for them to start making music together a year later. They both felt a similar calling to step back into their music after taking some time away to focus on their families and businesses.
Meridian Flow released their debut acoustic EP, Refocus, as a duet on June 18, 2024, followed by their first full-band single, Crapshoot, on October 31, 2025. In early 2026, the full band recorded four new songs with Blaine Johnston at A New Level Recording. They are continuing that momentum with additional recording sessions scheduled for late April. Their single, “Siren Sound,” is set to release this spring, and they are anticipating a full EP drop in June. The band recently went through a renaming process for many reasons. Originally, “Flow,” Ian and Ben chose to transition the name to “Meridian Flow” to reflect their location, interests, and ancestry. The symbolism of their logo is essential to their core identity, with nods to the 12 Pathways of Resonance of Rechian bioenergetics and also to Gaelic ancestry. Their goal is always to create good, meaningful art. Family and businesses come first for the duo; they’re not looking to “hit it big” or go full throttle toward a touring dream but are still fully committed to booking shows, being present in the community, and continuing to share their material with the world. For them, bonding over this creative project to balance out the rest of their busy lives makes it all worth it.
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