BILLINGS — There are lots of reasons Ben Derby was meant to be a musician.
He's clearly got talent - Derby has been an All-State clarinetist all four years of high school. He's got charisma.
"He walks into any of my other classes," Billings West band director Steve Patton said, "and I lose control of my class because everyone is like, ‘Ben!’"
But above everything, Derby has the pop star hair toss. It's Beatles-esque, though he said he gets a more contemporary comparison.
"I get more Justin Bieber than Beatles," he said, unknowingly tossing his hair within seconds after the statement.
But the style is no accident. It's always been a very deliberate choice.
"When I was a kid I had severe acne," Derby said. "So I tried to hide it with the hair. I didn’t have a lot of confidence."
Guess what changed that?
"Music gave me confidence," Derby said. "I’ve always had this vision of that feeling: standing center stage, arms wide open, and doing a good job."
He feels it a lot these days. Derby is one of the leaders of West's symphonic band, his fourth year in the group. He starred on stage in the school's most recent play, and he sings in multiple school choirs.
"He's not just a great musician, but he’s a leader," Patton said. "He's one of our drum majors this year. He accepts everyone around him. He's one of the nicest people that’s around."
It’s high praise from Patton, who has seen a lot of students in 36 years. But the feeling is mutual, so much so that Derby wants to follow in his footsteps.
"I want people to experience that good performance feeling," Derby said. "So I thought, 'What if I teach them get that feeling?' I want people to know how good it feels to be confident."
"When I decided to be a teacher, I thought I could do more in music than any other subject," Patton said of his path. "When kids see how much I enjoy it still, and they want to go do the same thing, it makes me feel pretty good."
Derby’s classes might add just a little more hair flair.
