By Avery Hale

Pine Whispers

To say that Gray Gordon is good at the guitar is an understatement. The senior has become a magician in the way he strums the strings and sings into the microphone since he began expressing his love for music in 2007.

“That year, when I first started playing guitar, changed my life,” Gordon said. “I can’t exactly pinpoint why I loved it so much. It was just something I could easily wrap myself around. It became an emotional tool.”

Gordon wrapped himself in his music during school and outside of Reynolds.

“Since the day I picked up the instrument, Eric Perrotti has been my instructor. I wouldn’t be who I am today, musically, without him,” Gordon said. “Reynolds has been so great for me. It’s the perfect outlet for someone to come and express themselves through a school.”

Derrick James, the director of bands at Reynolds, has worked with Gray over the last four years.

“Confidence is one of the most important things to a musician,” James said. “You have to sell your musical product with everything you have. That’s what I notice when I see and hear Gray play.”

James said he expects Gray to be playing “for the next 50 years.

“As long as a person has the will to make it a priority, there is no age limit or restraints to music,” James added. “It becomes part of you.”

Gordon has come across many musical inspirations and influences in his career and still looks up to those artists today.

“You’ve got guys like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King and B.B. King who influence my entire musical package, but I will also tell you that I’m in love with Alison Krauss’ voice and I can’t get through my day without Dave Brubeck Quartet’s live album,” Gordon said.

“And yes, once you’ve done all the calculations, anything you can pick and choose that’s influenced Mr. John Mayer has influenced me.”

Throughout his years at Reynolds, Gordon has played alongside fellow senior Duncan Kennedy. The duo co-founded the band Emerge their sophomore year. Ever since, the musicians have been improving and taking their talents to new heights.

“Musically, Duncan and I are a joint share – if you invest in one of us, you’re probably going to end up with both of us,” Gordon said. “We both dabble in other projects, playing with other people, but at the end of the day, the Emerge duo is the center of our musical experience.”

Their camaraderie and talent also brings an aspect of friendly competition to the musicians.

“Gray has been there throughout my musical career,” Kennedy said. “In a way, we make each other better by trying to impress or top each other.”

Gordon will be attending Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., where he plans to continue to pursue his love of music.

“I cannot verbalize how excited I am for this experience,” Gordon said. “I can only imagine the kinds of experiences Nashville has in store for me, in terms of life, music and education.”

As Gordon prepares to explore new opportunities in his life, he cannot pick out any top musical moments thus far in his musical career.

“Everything has been so great. I can’t narrow it down to one experience because every time I pick up an instrument with a group of people, it’s a good moment,” Gordon said.

As for his closing thoughts, Gordon had this to say to his audience:

“If anyone takes away anything from reading this, I hope its how incredibly awesome they are and how much potential they harness,” Gordon said. “To evolve, you have to disassemble yourself. You have to let the past be the past. Grow accustomed to the fact that nothing you’ve done in the past really matters except for the fact that it’s brought you where you are today. That’s when you pack your things, make an incredible playlist of your favorite songs, and go do something that is so great, people turn around and say, ‘I want to know them.’ And make sure you love it.”