Few Cavaliers have the endurance or tough hands to perform the guitar around the clock. However, the pain is no match for International Baccalaureate freshman and guitarist, Nicolas Gertzenstein.

At just 11 years old, Gertzenstein realized his true passion for music by taking on the George Washington Carver Middle School band elective. He jump-started his music career with the drums but soon determined it to be unfitting. He was later brought to the guitar, where he augmented his taste for chords and different musical notes.

“I was introduced to the guitar by my sixth-grade band teacher, Ms. Harmon. She would make my band class learn a new, simple song each week, and as time went on, I started learning more difficult songs,” freshman Nicolas Gertzenstein said.

Further expanding his new hobby, Gertzenstein began taking weekly electric and acoustic guitar lessons with the Center Tone Music School in Key Biscayne to improve his skills. His favorite genre is rock music, which can always be found at the top of his playlist. Gertzenstein spends his afternoons watching Youtube videos to learn each note by heart, eventually playing his favorite songs in front of an audience.

Accepting the challenge from his middle school teacher, Gertzenstein finds rock to be difficult at times because it involves confusing notes and a heavy metal guitar. Nevertheless, he follows the example of bands like Guns N’ Roses and Metallica to persevere through the lows. Gertzenstein recently attended a rock concert in Miami, inspiring him to chase infamy as a professional rock star one day.

“The way I most progress is by learning difficult songs. I like to go on Youtube and watch videos to learn songs from bands that I really like, such as Guns N’ Roses, because their songs are hard to learn so it challenges me,” freshman Gertzenstein said.

Gertzenstein performed at the Hispanic Heritage Show, where he sang “De Musica Ligera”: an Argentinian rock song by Soda Stereo. Sharing this performance with his peers, he created a memorable experience for himself, students and faculty alike.

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“I remember Nico showing me a video of him playing at the Hispanic Heritage Show and I remember thinking of how good of a guitarist he is because he shows a lot of emotion whilst playing the guitar. He’s an amazing entertainer and he’s not afraid to go out in front of a crowd and do his performance,” freshman Christian Tomas said.

When not performing for Coral Gables Senior High, Gertzenstein plays his guitar for elderly people at the Jubilee Retirement Community in Weston, Fla. A committed guitarist, he finds joy in spreading his love for music when given the opportunity.

Reaching to the stars, Gertzenstein plans to day perform in a concert one day, holding thousands of people. For the time being, he looks forward to the rest of his high school career and plans his next steps towards a bright future.