7th Grade South Dakota Guitarist Turns Heads

7th Grade South Dakota Guitarist Turns Heads

Used with Permission

I was scrolling through my Facebook feed earlier this year when a video came on and caught my attention.  The post was made by Chad Johnson who is a JAG teacher at Lyman Schools. His Facebook post read;

This kid is Awesome! He is a 7th grader at Lyman School District, in the JAG program that I teach, started wrestling this year, and is a good friend of my son Maverick. I’ve heard him play guitar a few times and asked if he would play the National Anthem at the Mid-Dakota Monster & the Bride of the Monster. He nailed it - then changed into his wrestling gear to compete in the tournament - Julian Hickey you are the MAN!

It's one thing to play a musical instrument. It's a totally different experience to play that instrument in front of people. I'd like to introduce you to a guitar player who is just a 7th Grader at Lyman School District.

I sent a list of questions to Julian Hickey and he was kind enough to answer them.

  • What kind of guitar do you primarily play (acoustic, electric, classical)?
    Electric - for the most part, I play some acoustical as well.
  • Which guitarists have most influenced your playing style?
    Stevie Ray Vaughn or Jimmy Hendrix.
  • What is your go-to sound when playing electric guitar? (clean, distorted, etc.) 
  • Mainly distorted..
    Do you prefer playing solo or in a band?
    Probably in a group if I can, but right now I play on my own quite a bit. 
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  • When did you start playing guitar?
    I think about 4 years ago, age 9.
  • What was the first song you learned to play on guitar?
    Hard to remember - but i think “Smoke on the Water.”
  • What genre of music do you enjoy playing the most?
    Classic Rock or Metal.
  • Do you have any formal music training?
    I learned through YouTube and a little bit from my dad.
  • What are your favorite songs to cover?
    A few of my favorites are: 
    “Black Hole Sun” - Soundgarden; “Purple Haze” - Jimmy Hendrix
    “Panama” - Van Halen, “Man in the Box” - Alice in chains
  • How do you usually come up with new guitar riffs or melodies?
    Think about different sounds that I can put together, try to make them sound good.
  • Do you write music primarily on guitar or do you use other instruments as well?
    Mainly guitar but I also work on bass guitar some.
  • Do you write songs?
    I make some of my own riffs, but don't formally write songs at this point.
  • What brand of guitar do you currently play?
  • I have multiple but my favorite is a Peavey, but I also have a Jackson Flying V, and a generic acoustic that I got off amazon.
  • What kind of amp do you use for electric guitar?
    Fender Mustang Gen. 3. 
  • Do you have any favorite guitar picks or strings?
    My favorite strings are probably Ernie Ball strings, I use Jazz 3 guitar picks by Dunlop for the most part.
  • What features do you look for when buying a new guitar?
    Probably a good bridge system for the strings is most important to me.
  • What is your favorite live performance memory?
    Playing the National anthem at the Mid Dakota Monster and Bride of the Monster wrestling tournament in Presho, South Dakota  in front of wrestling fans from across the state! 
  • What are your goals as a guitarist?
    Make music that people like!
  • Do you have any advice for aspiring guitarists?
    Stay consistent, don’t get discouraged, keep practicing.

    • Thank you for sharing this story with your family and friends! Remember, if you have someone talented from your community you would like others to know about?  Let me know. I'd love to share it here!  Email me anytime.  jdcollins@kikn.com

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