Around ten years ago, the music of ZZ Top and Slipknot inspired a young boy to pick up a guitar. Today, that boy’s passion for music has grown to the point that he hopes to pursue it as a career.

                Junior Stuart Collingwood began playing the guitar at a young age. What started as a hobby has now become a lifestyle.

                Music has helped shape Collingwood into the person he is today, mostly because he is part of a heavy metal band, The Bloodline.

                Collingwood said music has helped to make him a more creative person and has introduced him to different kinds of people. It has also ignited his passion, causing him to practice for at least three hours a night.

                Music has also helped Collingwood become more outgoing.

                Collingwood said that he is now more comfortable playing his music around others because he has “gotten used to playing in front of a lot of people.”

                Not only does Collingwood have a passion for playing the guitar, he also enjoys building his own custom guitars.

                “I’m currently building[a] bass guitar…I cut the [wood] myself and bought a bunch of stuff from different companies to make it my own,” Collingwood said.

                Collingwood’s father Tim encourages his son’s love of music, especially his passion for building guitars.

“Two guitars that he already has are custom made,” and he is working on another, Tim said.

Stuart also tries to spread his love for music by teaching. One of his students is junior Katie Helus.

                “[Stuart] is really patient with me. He will go over the same song as many times as I need. He looks up tabs online to teach me, and he teaches me what he already knows,” Helus said.

                Stuart does not teach to make money but instead wishes to simply inspire Helus to take up music.

                “He’s not charging me. He’s just doing it out of the goodness of his heart,” Helus said.

                Tim also recognizes how music has helped to shape Stuart into the person he is today.

                “He’s been more outgoing. Music has certainly changed his life for the better,” Tim said.

                Stuart plans to take his passion for music with him to college and hopes to pursue a career in music after majoring in studio music in college.

                Stuart said that he would like to work through the studio, making his own music to share with the world.

                After ZZ Top and Slipknot sparked his passion for music, Stuart now plans to provide that spark in the future to another generation.