John F. Kennedy High School graduate Ben Goldsmith performs at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

If you ask 17-year-old Ben Goldsmith what he’s been working toward his entire life, the answer is simple: a career in music.

Having just graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore on June 11, the Merrick native won’t have to wait any longer to see that dream become a reality. On June 9, Sony Music Nashville, the United Talent Agency and Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville announced that they had signed Goldsmith.

Sony Music Nashville is his record label; UTA will manage shows and tour booking; and UMPG Nashville is managing his publishing deal, specifically for his songwriting.

Goldmsith’s debut album, “The World Between My Ears,” will drop on Sept. 22.

Just a week after graduating from high school, Goldsmith moved to Tennessee and performed at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 17. The four-day festival attracts tens of thousands of music fans, and hundreds of artists, to Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tennessee.

Goldsmith’s musical journey began on Long Island when he was just 4, and a violin instructor realized he had a knack for singing. In addition to the violin, Goldsmith also learned guitar, and he performed at local community events, fairs and clubs throughout middle school.

He studied jazz guitar at the Manhattan School of Music and the Mannes School of Music, and perfected his skills with the instrument under the mentorship of Tomo Fujita, a professional musician and an instructor at the Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts, who previously taught John Mayer, among others.

“This is the stuff I’ve been dreaming about since I was 6, when I first fell in love with playing the guitar,” Goldsmith told the Herald. “It’s crazy how all of this is coming to fruition as I graduate high school.”

As his love of music, and his talent, has deepened in recent years, he has had some unique opportunities. He attended a music-themed summer camp at Berklee, and performed in bands with friends in Merrick. Having also honed his craft in the School of Rock, a worldwide music education program with locations in Manhattan and Rockville Centre, Goldsmith was selected to take part in a cross-country tour with the school’s AllStars program. Fewer than 1 percent of School of Rock students are chosen for the tour.

His musical style today, he said, was inspired by groups such as Aerosmith, Dave Matthews Band and Queen, and artists like Elton John and Bob Dylan. More recent inspirations include Zach Bryan and Olivia Rodrigo.

In a news release, Sony Music Nashville said that Goldsmith’s “multidimensional artistry transcends format and genre.”

In an interview with the Herald, Goldsmith humbly agreed. “It’s beyond a sound or vibe — it’s emotional,” he said of his music. “It leaves listeners in their feelings — if it’s a euphoria or blissful vibe or if it makes listeners cry. I’m attracted to creating and listening to emotional and melodic music that hits you in the gut.”

Goldsmith is managed by Mike Crowley, who has been involved with a wide range of well-known talents. Crowley introduced Goldsmith to music producer Brad Jones in Nashville, who came to New York, impressed by Goldsmith’s talent. Jones helped Goldsmith get acquainted with the Nashville music community, and the rest is (recent) history.

Late last year, when Goldsmith was 16, he performed for executives at Sony in Nashville, and they offered him a deal on the spot. He has already released some songs on streaming platforms, including “One Day Believer,” “It’ll All Be Alright” and “Wolves.”

The signing announcement on June 9 included the release of a new track, “Flowers In Your Hair,” which will be part of Goldsmith’s upcoming album, co-produced by Jones.

“In a way, I’ve been working towards this since I was 3 or 4,” Goldsmith told Sony last December. “I’ve never strayed. It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.”

He said he owes a lot to the people who helped his succeed, and in particular his friends from home. “They’ve stuck by my side through all of this, and I’m so lucky to have such supportive friends that champion me and lift me up,” Goldsmith said. “They’re friends that I don’t even really talk about music with, and I can just be a kid with.”

As his career kicks off, Goldsmith recalls the days when he mapped out imaginary tours for himself across the United States. At one point he even competed in a Merrick Avenue Middle School Geography Bee, which put his mapping skills to the test.

“I’m really looking forward to touring and playing live,” he said. “I’m literally living out dreams from when I was a kid — for that to become a reality is surreal to me.”

For more on Goldsmith, his music, and links to his Instagram, Facebook and other social media accounts, go to BenGoldsmith.net.