Name: Makena Walsh

Grade: Senior

Experience: Almost six years

Wingspan: Who is your inspiration?

Walsh: “It started with a band I loved at the time, and that’s where my inspiration started, but since my music taste and appreciation has grown, one of my most recent inspirations today is Dominic Fike. The way he plays his guitar is so smooth, and knowing he didn’t professionally learn like me, it’s an inspiration for sure.”

Wingspan: What made you choose the guitar?

Walsh: “First, it started with the ukulele I was required to play in 7th grade for a music class and ended up loving, but once I got the hang of that, I wanted to learn guitar to play some of my favorite music.”

Wingspan: How does music impact your life?

Walsh: “Music helps me work through a lot of my emotions and is a safe space to unwind and cope with everything going on, no matter if it’s super stressful, joyful, depressing, anxiety-provoking, or everything all at once. Creating music provides me with a space to put a piece of myself into an instrument. I love playing to make a work of art that encapsulates what I was feeling at the time. Listening to music allows me to relate and not feel alone in what I’m going through in lyrics and even just the instrumentals. It also makes me see things in a different light and different perspectives.”

Wingspan: What is your favorite song to play?

Walsh: “There are so many to choose from! At the moment, I love playing this unreleased Dominic Fike song that he posted on his story, and it’s just such a smooth riff, and it’s so so fun to play.”

Wingspan: How did you learn to play the guitar?

Walsh: “At first, my parents wanted me to do lessons, but I really didn’t like the lessons anyways because they made me feel limited my creativity, so I learned myself. I taught myself mainly by learning by ear and picked up different chords to use when making my own music. Once you’ve played for a while, you sort of grasp everything, how things are supposed to sound, transitions from chord to chord. It’s much easier to learn new songs, and there’s a smoothness you gain after playing for a while. It starts to become natural! Also, getting in the mindset you can play what you want is a game changer.”

Wingspan: What’s your favorite part of playing guitar?

Walsh: “Getting to play what I hear through songs and just learning what I want to learn and feeling that sense of achievement after while playing along with the song. Also, learning by ear is always fun, and coming up with my riffs for songs. I really love all aspects of guitar.”