By Andrea Boyce
Finding a guitar in a college apartment is like finding moldy cheese in the fridge - it''s inevitable.
For lots of students at BYU, playing the guitar helps them meet new people and get to know others better. John Root, a sophomore from Boise, Idaho, who plays the bass guitar in a band said, 'People enjoy playing the guitar because it''s a social type of instrument. Anybody can sing along to a guitar.'
Missy Whalen, a student from Kissimmee, Florida, believes the biggest reason students play the guitar is because it is a stress reliever and gives her time to relax. 'You can always find a guitar laying around and you don''t have to think when you play, you can just sit back and enjoy.'
Another reason people tend to pick up the guitar is, although they may not know how to play other instruments, a guitar is something everyone can play. 'You don''t really need to know much about music,' said Brett Garcia, a senior. Whalen agrees, 'It''s the only instrument that musically challenged people can figure out,' she said.
Garcia said that one of the reasons why so many college students have guitars is that they are portable and easy to take with you. A guitar is more conducive to large groups of people. 'When you''re at a party nobody pulls out their trombone and starts playing, and certainly nobody could sing along. Guitars are easy like that.'
Eric Martindale, from Caldwell, Idaho, believes that it is more of a popularity thing to do. 'People see bands on MTV and think it''s a cool thing to do,' he said.
Buying a guitar isn''t as expensive as one would think. According to Reo Stika, an employee at the Great Salt Lake Guitar Company, (who has four guitars himself), said guitar prices start at $180 dollars and go up from there.
That isn''t exactly pocket change for college students, so lots of students get their parents to give them one for Christmas. Stika said Christmas time is definitely their busiest time of year but they sell lots of guitars year round.
Students with guitars seem to gravitate towards each other, or so it seems to some. At one time Whalen''s apartment had a total of 3 guitars, as did Root''s apartment and Garcia''s has 4 guitars.
Whatever the reason why people play guitars, one thing seems to ring true; the college experience wouldn''t be the same without someone strumming the guitar and singing 'Stairway to Heaven.' Just be grateful they can sing on tune - it could be worse.