Neighbors: Ben Walsh

Ben Walsh, a senior at Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, recently received the highest rating possible during the Florida Orchestra Association’s Solo and Ensemble Festival. The stand-up bassist performed Dragonetti’s “Concerto in A Major” to earn a Superior rating, but it was the fact that he played the piece entirely from memory that bumped him into the Superior With Distinction category. As if this weren’t impressive enough, this is the third consecutive year Walsh has earned such a rating.

Walsh started playing the bass in seventh grade at the suggestion of Pine View orchestra director Christopher Mink.

“Mr. Mink really showed me how versatile the stand-up bass could be,” Walsh said. “After that, my love for music led me to explore different instruments. I wanted to play everything I could get my hands on.”

Since then, Walsh has learned to play the electric bass, guitar, piano and drums, and he credits Mink for providing him with a solid musical base from which to grow.

“Since I had such a solid foundation in the fundamentals with the stand-up bass, I was able to take that to other instruments,” Walsh said. “I was able to pick them up much more easily.”

His passion for music also has led him to other musical outlets. In addition to playing classical music with groups such as the North Port and Sarasota orchestras, Walsh has played in several bands, among them, a jazz project called In Parenthesis; an ambient-rock-meets-hip-hop band called Traffic 3:16; and his current alternative-rock band, Odd Man Out.

Walsh doesn’t limit himself to musical endeavors. He also plays lacrosse and football at Cardinal Mooney and is captain of the Academic Olympics team, all of which are paving his way toward a promising college career. He’s still weighing his options, but he is considering studying engineering at Princeton, Johns Hopkins or Carnegie Mellon.

He isn’t sure what role music will play in his future, but he’s confident it’s something about which he’ll always be passionate.

“Sports can help me get a quality education, but they’re not going to last forever,” Walsh said. “Music is something I can keep for the rest of my life.”