LaQyhia Clark laughs during her guitar lesson from Jimmy Smith at Picker’s ExchangeTake out that nose ring and go to class; shed the school uniform and get to band practice.
While some students struggle just to slog through their homework every night, teenage musicians have the added stress of band practice, music lessons and gigs.
Brandon Quarles, 17, a senior at Boyd-Buchanan School, said it’s sometimes a struggle, if a rewarding one, to keep up his academics while playing guitar and keyboard for his contemporary Christian rock band, Purrington.
“Sometimes you have to make the choice between school and the band,” he said. “I only have had to call off practice once or twice. There is room for the two to live together.
“If you learn to compromise, it’s an enriching experience.”