Discipline and Discovery at a Musical Crossroads
Ben is a 9th grade violinist in the MYS Repertory Orchestra. He lives in Maple Grove and studies classical violin with Kelby Strobel.
Repertory Orchestra violinist Ben is fine-tuning his musical voice at the crossroads of folk and classical music. He was selected to perform in the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Kids on Bluegrass program in Chattanooga, Tennessee in September—an honor spotlighting top young bluegrass musicians from around the country. Ben is a familiar face in Minnesota’s bluegrass scene and has appeared with The Rosie Daze Band, Blue Groove Band, The Roe Family Singers, as well as his own groups, Ben and the Boomsticks and Thresheree. His accolades include first place in the Minnesota State Fiddlers Association’s under-12 contest and the U13 fiddle title at the Kansas City Feis.
Ben’s musical journey began with piano lessons at age five, but even then he had aspirations of playing violin. Like many students, Ben started violin when he joined his school orchestra in fifth grade. About six months later, his path took an unexpected turn when his mom—a bluegrass fan—dragged him along to a festival hosted by the Minnesota Bluegrass Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA). “I desperately did not want to go,” he laughs. But he participated in a Grass Seeds youth workshop for beginners that sparked his passion and within one weekend he was hooked. “Eventually, like 35 festivals later, I had picked up all the instruments,” Ben remarks. The dizzying array of instruments he now plays includes dulcimer, ukulele, mandolin, guitar, and bass, plus singing and song-writing. He intentionally seeks out a variety of genres—bluegrass, country, Irish, and jazz—and doesn’t like being boxed into a single style.
Balancing not only music but athletics keeps Ben busy. “I barely manage my time!” he admits. Alongside racing year-round (Ben competes in high school cross-country, Nordic skiing, and track) he maintains a disciplined practice routine as part of his homeschool schedule. He practices violin for two hours or more, usually before lunch, and saves piano for the end of the day when he’s tired because it helps him relax and reset his focus. When it comes to bluegrass and jazz, he just can’t get enough. “I actually have to, like, stop myself from playing that music.”
Despite Ben’s success as a folk music performer, he prioritizes classical repertoire for the vast majority of his practice time. “I really push myself to stick with the same classical etudes everyone else is doing, because that’s what’s going to make me better. If I practice only classical diligently for like four hours one day, the next my fiddling—or even mandolin—will always sound better.” On the flip side, Ben’s fiddling has sharpened his rhythmic skills, not to mention double stops: “I’m very good at those and that's 100% from fiddling!” But perhaps the biggest impact of his fiddling experience has been the boost in confidence. “I play somewhere between two and six times at each festival. I don’t really have stage fright anymore.”
Looking ahead, Ben hopes to pursue a career in music—perhaps as a film score composer. “I want to do something in the music industry, that’s for sure.” He isn’t ruling out a path in performance, logging serious practice hours should he decide to attend a conservatory for violin. On the composition side, his big book of staff paper can hardly keep up: “When an idea comes to me I can't fill the pages fast enough!” For songwriting, he uses a whiteboard to write down lyrics and chords. “I'll take pictures of the board and record voice memos, now that I have a phone. If it’s good I might turn it into a polished piece. If it’s not, it’s just gonna sit on my phone forever!”
