Each student has their own unique qualities, so it could be difficult for a teacher to choose one who stands out over another. For orchestra instructor Dr. Chiarello, the decision was easy to choose Junior Ben Wentzel as this week’s Fine Arts student of the week for honors orchestra.

“In his freshman year, Ben came in real quiet and he didn’t talk much,” said Dr. Chiarello. “Now, he still doesn’t talk much but when he plays he is a lot bigger in his presence.”

To get into honors orchestra, players have to compete against hundreds of other students and play eight minutes of music on the spot to impress the judges. That can be daunting for some, but that was not the case for Wentzel.

“In the beginning of the year, you have to prepare about 45 minutes of music and then they choose eight minutes each student has to play,” said Dr. Chiarello. “I think 300 violinists tried out and they only picked the top 12. They pick the eight minutes of music when you’re in a room and you don’t know which eight minutes you will be playing until you’re in the room and that is what he played and he won.”

Orchestra started at a young age for Wentzel and he has been improving ever since. Even if he chooses not to continue playing after high school, the skills he has created can help him in the future.

“Orchestra in Sioux Falls starts in fourth grade but Wentzel started taking lessons privately before that,” said Dr. Chiarello. “For Ben, his attention to detail and the ability to break down problems into solvable chunks are his key characteristics. Even if he quits playing after high school, which I don’t know if he will or not, those skills are going to stay with him for the rest of his life.

Since Dr. Chiarello has had Wentzel for the past three years, he enjoys being able to teach him and help him improve as a player, but his favorite part about him is who he is as a person.

“He is just a fun kid,” said Dr. Chiarello. “My favorite things about him are as a person not as a player. I love him as a player, I love that he doesn’t get into trouble and I love that he’s always positive and that he is always making connections in the group.”