It seems that Ben Schrag can make any conversation topic seem completely normal.

In the studio, he casually references the band and Neil Young’s drugged-up performance of “Helpless,” all while tuning a guitar and nonchalantly holding a toothpick between his teeth. At first glance, he’s a completely average guy, until he opens his mouth and sings — that moment is anything but average.

But Schrag remembers his first time picking up a guitar during his freshman year of college as clumsy.

“We all want a Hollywood narrative when it happens, but with most instruments, it’s the opposite,” Schrag said.

Nevertheless, he continued to play.

“What you find is that some of us are obsessive, and when you’re on the opposite side and through the nitty gritty, you can be an artist,” Schrag said.

Schrag gained notoriety while performing at open mics around Ames and later formed Ben Schrag and the Cautionaries with drummer Cal Rebhuhn. They have been playing shows and more open mics around the community since their start. Having the scene at their fingertips is one of the driving forces behind their passion for performing.

“We’ve got it — it’s in our backyard,” Schrag said. “We’re sharing the scene with each other, and the better others do, the more people will know that this scene exists.”

Rebhuhn echoed that same sentiment.

“By nature, it’s inclusive and has a real grassroots feel,” Rebhuhn said.

Schrag and Rebhuhn also cited the catharsis of performing as one of the reasons why they pursued music in the Ames scene.

“It’s the chance to share something with people — it’s a privilege,” Rebhuhn said. “It’s cathartic, there’s both a release of energy and a gain of energy. How do we find a way to share an experience with each other?”

While the band has entered contests like NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Contest and played shows at a variety of venues in and around central Iowa, its passion for music goes back to its beginnings at open mics. When asked what advice they’d offer to musicians starting out in the scene, their answer was simple:

“Open mic, open mic, open mic. Write more music, share more music,” Schrag said. “Part of what we do is meant to be experienced, and the best way to do that is to get out and do it. Ninety percent of it is just showing up. You’ll never know unless you test the water.”