My love for music started at a very early age. My mom bought me a little toy drum set when I was about four years old. I played that drum set until the heads of it were busted, and so were my parents' eardrums. It wasn’t until a little later when I was eight that I really started to understand and understand my true love and desire for all things music. At the age of eight is when I started to play the drum set. I was inspired by my church's drummer who was the nicest guy in the world. Who would always answer my questions when I asked and just always take care of me. I wanted to be like him I loved the drums and still do, but when my love for music really exploded was when I found bluegrass music and the guitar. I heard my cousin play and sing some on his guitar when I was around 14. I was immediately hooked on it. I raced home and looked up videos for more and how to play this style of music. Spending hours scrolling through YouTube video after video of these amazing pickers made me realize, this is what I truly want to do Tony Rice, Billy strings, Cody Kilby, Trey Hensley; those were just a few of the amazing players I listened to that day. My favorite and the one I’ve always looked up to since being Tony Rice. He redefined the genre in a way many people were unsure of at the time but now look back in awe. What Tony Rice did to the acoustic guitar and bluegrass music is what I want to do, but I want to do it in my own way. He inspired me to make the sounds I hear in my head and put them out there for the world, if they accept it or not. There have been countless other inspirations to my musical journey that it would take me thousands of words to say all the credit they deserve. What I can do however is give back the faith and teaching they had in me in the form of music. Music for them and everyone to enjoy, and to add to other amazing music that is out there. Music means so many things to so many people, but that is just what it means to me; everything.

Music is and always will be one of the best ways to communicate on this planet. Nothing else quite matches its ability to go beyond language or any other division. Even so, music is often pushed to the side by many who don’t truly understand the huge impact it can bring to the masses. That is why one thing I hope to do after and in college is bring that joy to many more so everyone can feel the joy of music. I’m Hayden Reidling, and I'll be attending Berklee college of music in Boston this coming semester. I plan on getting a bachelor of music degree, with a guitar focus. Some of my favorite players are Tony Rice, Cody Kilby, Bret Mason, and Jake Workman. I play guitar, banjo, mandolin,and I also sing. Bluegrass and country music are my main genres I play, but I love exploring so many more. In high school I played percussion in the school symphonic, marching, and jazz band. As well as singing and leading our school choir singing bass. After college however, I hope to spend some time in Nashville being a studio musician playing on all sorts of country and bluegrass records like many of my guitar heroes have. Along with playing guitar live and teaching, just doing everything I can to make music. Ever since I was very young music has always been my outlet. It started in church watching our drumming and just loving the rhythm. Then leading me to taking drum lessons. Later picking up guitar and learning it on my own. The whole time music was my whole life. If it was playing music or just listening, it was always my way to show to the world what I had to say and truly wanted to do. Growing up I’d always been in awe of so many musicians and I always knew I wanted to be like them. However, as I continue my musical journey I find myself less wanting to be exactly like my heroes, but rather build my own way, mark my own trail, and make my own kind of music. I am so excited for college and everything it has in store, but what I’m even more excited for is what will happen after. Berklee and college in general is just a stepping stone, a huge one at that, but one that will hopefully lead me to continuing on the love and joy music can bring to anyone.

Music is and always will be one of the best ways to communicate on this planet. Nothing else quite matches its ability to go beyond language or any other division. Even so, music is often pushed to the side by many who don’t truly understand the huge impact it can bring to the masses. That is why one thing I hope to do after and in college is bring that joy to many more so everyone can feel the joy of music. I’m Hayden Reidling, and I'll be attending Berklee college of music in Boston this coming semester. I plan on getting a bachelor of music degree, with a guitar focus. Some of my favorite players are Tony Rice, Cody Kilby, Bret Mason, and Jake Workman. I play guitar, banjo, mandolin,and I also sing. Bluegrass and country music are my main genres I play, but I love exploring so many more. In high school I played percussion in the school symphonic, marching, and jazz band. As well as singing and leading our school choir singing bass. After college however, I hope to spend some time in Nashville being a studio musician playing on all sorts of country and bluegrass records like many of my guitar heroes have. Along with playing guitar live and teaching, just doing everything I can to make music. Ever since I was very young music has always been my outlet. It started in church watching our drumming and just loving the rhythm. Then leading me to taking drum lessons. Later picking up guitar and learning it on my own. The whole time music was my whole life. If it was playing music or just listening, it was always my way to show to the world what I had to say and truly wanted to do. Growing up I’d always been in awe of so many musicians and I always knew I wanted to be like them. However, as I continue my musical journey I find myself less wanting to be exactly like my heroes, but rather build my own way, mark my own trail, and make my own kind of music. I am so excited for college and everything it has in store, but what I’m even more excited for is what will happen after. Berklee and college in general is just a stepping stone, a huge one at that, but one that will hopefully lead me to continuing on the love and joy music can bring to anyone.

Music is and always will be one of the best ways to communicate on this planet. Nothing else quite matches its ability to go beyond language or any other division. Even so, music is often pushed to the side by many who don’t truly understand the huge impact it can bring to the masses. That is why one thing I hope to do after and in college is bring that joy to many more so everyone can feel the joy of music. I’m Hayden Reidling, and I'll be attending Berklee college of music in Boston this coming semester. I plan on getting a bachelor of music degree, with a guitar focus. Some of my favorite players are Tony Rice, Cody Kilby, Bret Mason, and Jake Workman. I play guitar, banjo, mandolin,and I also sing. Bluegrass and country music are my main genres I play, but I love exploring so many more. In high school I played percussion in the school symphonic, marching, and jazz band. As well as singing and leading our school choir singing bass. After college however, I hope to spend some time in Nashville being a studio musician playing on all sorts of country and bluegrass records like many of my guitar heroes have. Along with playing guitar live and teaching, just doing everything I can to make music. Ever since I was very young music has always been my outlet. It started in church watching our drumming and just loving the rhythm. Then leading me to taking drum lessons. Later picking up guitar and learning it on my own. The whole time music was my whole life. If it was playing music or just listening, it was always my way to show to the world what I had to say and truly wanted to do. Growing up I’d always been in awe of so many musicians and I always knew I wanted to be like them. However, as I continue my musical journey I find myself less wanting to be exactly like my heroes, but rather build my own way, mark my own trail, and make my own kind of music. I am so excited for college and everything it has in store, but what I’m even more excited for is what will happen after. Berklee and college in general is just a stepping stone, a huge one at that, but one that will hopefully lead me to continuing on the love and joy music can bring to anyone.

My name is Hayden reidling, I’m seven-teen years old, and I’m from Dawsonville Georgia. My principal instrument is guitar, but I also study mandolin, banjo, percussion, and vocals. I have competed in state and national level competitions for guitar. Coming first state wide with my 4-h DPA guitar project, and third at the national guitar contest in Winfield Kansas. Along with solo contest, I have also competed in the Georgia state bluegrass band contest and came in first with my band, which I played mandolin with. I have also recorded, mixed, and mastered my own original music with a different band, where I play guitar, mandolin, and vocals. I hope to go to Berklee College of music in the fall of 2024 to study music performance. I plan to have a profession in music as a professional musician. I would love to perform bluegrass, country, and gospel music, and I hope to innovate and bring a new light and sound to these old genres of music. Music has impacted my life in every single way. It has brought me closer to people I never thought I’d meet, along with teaching me how to better communicate with people. For example, every Saturday I go to a bluegrass jam and one of my friends I make music with there is none verbal with autism. While he may not talk, he and I communicate with and through music for hours and hours on end every Saturday. This relationship would have never happened if it wasn’t for music, but because of it every Saturday our relationship just grows stronger. Music brings people together that otherwise would have never Been able to communicate, or see eye to eye. Music can convey so many emotions, and tell amazing stories with and without words. I am so passionate about music, because of the great community of people it has. Along with how it can touch others, it can touch me in the same way. Music has been such a vital part of my life ever since I started to play the drums at the age of eight. I have been fascinated with learning more and more about it. Learning all the intricacies, and the ins and outs of it all. “When words fail, music speaks.” This very common quote speaks so much truth. When no other form of communication can work, music does. Music can touch somebody’s heart and leave a lasting impression on them that nothing else would. For all of these reason, I fell more and more in love with music everyday; and I dream of being able to pursue it to provide the impact I feel whenever I listen to Amazing music.