300 Words: Boy with the guitar

Ellie Sauder, Social Media Editor • Dec 20, 2017

The 300 word series is inspired by Brady Dennis’s St. Petersburg Times column.

Any given day during fifth-hour lunch, he can be found leaning nonchalantly against the atrium wall near the far stairwell, quietly plucking the strings of his small guitar.

Clad in glasses, a grey t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, he sits secluded, but not invisible.

Students and teachers glance his way, curious to hear the seemingly silent strumming. Every once in awhile, they get their wish and hear a few chords as they pass. And on rare occasion, someone actually approaches him.

His peers inhale their pizza, gossip, and watch YouTube videos in the cafeteria.

Trey Casella covers “Shake for Me” by Stevie Ray Vaughan.

But Trey Casella sits alone.

Well, he isn’t actually alone.

He’s joined by the life streaming from his headphones. Probably the music of his favorite rock band, Rush. Or Muse. Or Metallica. Or Stone Temple Pilots. Or Pearl Jam.

And as far as a favorite song goes, don’t expect Trey to pick one because, well, “there’s just too many to pick,” he says with a laugh.

Music is Trey’s life, and has been since he was eight years old, but he didn’t start playing guitar until the age of thirteen. “My dad used to play, so he had guitars just sitting around,” he says. “I was procrastinating homework…one day I just started playing.”

Ellie Sauder
Casella takes his musical inspiration from his home state of Washington.

Music is still a form of escape for Trey. He is “not the most sociable of people” so music gives him “something to do” during the lunch hour while everyone else mingles.

Actually, music has given him “something to do” for 53,012 minutes of 2017. That’s over 11% of Trey’s year accompanied by a soundtrack.

“I honestly don’t know where I’d be without music…I have no clue where I’d be,” Trey says with a shake of his head.

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About the Contributor

Ellie Sauder, Social Media Editor

Ellie Sauder is a senior at Normal Community High School. This is her first year as an Inkspot staff reporter and Social Media Editor. I am inspired by the arts, especially dance, and big cities. My favorite film is Pride & Prejudice. My dream is to live on the West Coast and start a small business.