Whiz Kid: Wesley Frye, Andrew High School Musician and Thespian Extraordinaire

Each week, Patch will feature a student or group of students who have something to brag about. We'll sit down with each, get the scoop and deliver it to readers every Wednesday.

We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid.  Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to Local Editor Lauren Traut at lauren.traut@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the information included below.

Whiz Kid's Age: 16

Whiz Kids' School: Junior at

Nominated By: His father, Mark Frye. 

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Most recently, Wesley performed along with 49 other top Chicagoland high school musicians in the Northshore Concert Band at Northwestern University. Frye plays the trombone, sings and acts. He'll also join a select group of students in a performance with well-known vocalist Eric Whitaker March 6–8.

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: His flair for music and theater wasn't handed down from his father, but his spelling skills were. Before starting at Andrew High School, where he's starred in 10 musicals and plays total (and directed two), Wesley made a name for himself at Knights of Columbus spelling bees, like and 1971 Chicago Archdiocese Champion Speller Mark Frye. He competed at the state-level bee three times in his four years of competition as a student at .  But nowadays, spelling isn't so much his specialty, as vocal performance, band, and musical theater.

Wesley is currently involved in the school's interpretive production of The Royal Tenenbaums, as well as the spring musical Pirates of Penzance. He participates in band, choir, jazz ensemble, jazz choir and men's choir. He sings tenor and plays trombone. Mark Frye said Wesley didn't get the musical gift from his side, but Wesley disagrees.

"It's a little bit from both sides," he said. "My Dad is accomplished, with high school music and band. My mother Jean sings, but not publicly."

His siblings are also musically inclined, Wesley said. His sister Kara dances and has just started to touch on singing, and Warren plays alto saxophone. Since sixth grade, Wesley has played the piano at Smith Crossing retirement community. He plays at special events, Masses and holiday parties.

In his spare time (which is hard to come by), Wesley enjoys playing Frisbee, basketball, men's softball. He's an avid Chicago sports fan. He was March 2010 "Musician of the Month" at Andrew, and hopes to repeat the title this year. He'll star in the role of "Samuel" in the school's April production of Pirates of Penzance.

Whiz Kid's Inspiration: Wesley mentioned Choral Director Chris Moan as one of the teachers to "propel my music forward."  Current Band Director Mark Iwinski and former director Dan Romano also had a hand in fostering his love of music. He will pursue a degree in vocal performance from one of four colleges: Lutheran College, Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or Western Michigan University.