“A lot of people are amazed that I can play this good.”
A little more than a year ago, Patrick Lewis, an eighth-grade student at Hazelwood Northwest Middle School, developed an interest in playing the guitar. It started in his Exploring Music class, taught by Eric Meurer. Then he joined the Guitar Club and his interest grew even further.
Before the school year began, Lewis’ mom, Lisa, sent an email to staff at HNWMS, thanking them for introducing her son to the guitar. The message, at times personal, revealed new possibilities she envisioned for her son.
“When Patrick started coming home talking constantly about playing guitar in music class, at first we dismissed it as Patrick tends to get into things and then kind of loses interest when he doesn’t excel in it. But WOW! He really picked up on it,” the message read.
The email continued, “My dad had always wanted me to play guitar when I was a kid, then Patrick’s older sister. He even bought us guitars but we never got the lessons. Well, when Patrick came home glowing about the guitar, my dad bought him a little beginner acoustic just to see if Patrick’s interest would stick. Well, has it ever stuck! A friend of a friend volunteered to give him lessons on Saturday mornings and he took to it like a pro.”
Lewis praises his late grandfather as his inspiration. He passed away in May 2011, after his grandmother passed away in August 2010.
“My grandfather wanted his family to play guitar, but no one was interested. He wanted me to play my whole life. I want to do it for the rest of my life,” Lewis said.
So what does he like so much about playing guitar?
“It’s the sound. Every guitar makes a different sound,” he said. He likes acoustic, bass and lead guitars, and classic rock and country music.
“I feel set free from anger and stress. It calms me down when I play.”
The first song he taught himself was “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple. He said he knows between 30 and 40 songs, and that being in the Guitar Club is great.
“We get to play whatever we want,” Lewis said. “And I like helping the other kids in the club.”
Playing the guitar has helped Lewis improve his academics and his social behavior, and his parents and school staff have taken notice.
“We don’t have to force him to practice. He plays the guitar, he reads guitar books and checks out guitar websites all on his own,” his mom explained in her email. As last school year ended, Lewis’ family offered an incentive – if he passed summer school and behaved, he would get an electric guitar. On the last day of summer school, his parents gave him a Fender Strat and Peavey amplifier.
Willicia Hobbs, principal, said that Lewis is “doing very well. He’s told me that he’s maturing and growing.”
She said that he is making better choices, becoming a more positive person, and that is he is making efforts to avoid negative situations.
Lewis understands that the guitar is his passion, and is encouraged by his parents. He said that he knows he has to do his homework, and as he gets better grades, he will get a better guitar. He explained that his dream guitar is a Gibson Les Paul, and then quoted the price. “It’s $2,350.”
Meurer, who teaches band, is the Guitar Club sponsor. The club’s goal is to encourage students who want to learn to play guitar and further the development of those who already have experience. The guitars were purchased by the HNWMS Parent Teacher Student Association. The club has 20 members with different levels of experience.
“His ability has truly exploded over the last school year. He is now to the ability level that he is teaching me what he is learning on his own, and showing his friends in the Guitar Club the riffs and songs that he is working on. He is taking the time to be patient with those of us who want to learn,” said Meurer.
“Patrick has found something that truly works for him. He loves the instrument, the sound, the coolness and the songs he is learning. I believe that having this interest in the guitar and the social side of being able to jam with friends is a win-win for him,” he continued.
“I have seen a noticeable attitude improvement in him this year,” Meurer said.
“I also see that his interaction with other students has improved as well. He is willing to work with all students in the club and he really loves to show off what he has learned. It is a great motivator for the other students in the club after they realize that Patrick has really only been at this a year.”
Meurer explained that music can have a “profound impact on the learning of all students. When reading music, you are reinforcing basic reading skills as well as developing focus and concentration.”
“The math that figures into music often goes unnoticed. Not only are we constantly dealing with fractions and basic counting, we are visually studying and auditorily representing a picture for all to hear,” he continued.
“The performance aspect of music truly builds confidence, and helps to promote students who may not be willing or able to be in front of a crowd or audience otherwise,” said Meurer.
Lewis’ mom thinks that her son’s connection to the guitar is “just unbelievable.”
“I am so grateful my dad got to see him starting to do well with the guitar,” she wrote.
“Anyway, his dad and I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate your introducing him to the guitar and what we hope will be something that will bring him great joy and pride for the rest of his life,” her email said.
Speaking of Meurer, the message ended with praise. “We hear your name around the house a lot since those first days of guitar in class. And we know many times teachers don’t get to see or hear this, but we wanted you to know that you’ve made a HUGE difference in Patrick’s life.”
Lewis and schoolmate Robert Friedline, a sixth-grader, practice their skills on the guitar.
The two are members of the HNWMS Guitar Club, which meets after school once a week.