Having begun his journey with guitar in merely seventh grade, sophomore Nicholas Bost now plays guitar for his band, The Surreals.

“I have always enjoyed music…I believe it’s the ultimate form of human emotion and artistic expression,” Bost said.

Bost’s interest in the guitar goes back to junior high, where he picked up the instrument through his participation in his school’s rock band. According to Bost, the band performed two times a year. Bost was drawn specifically towards the guitar for its sound.

“I just really like the tones and everything…there’s so much you can do with the instrument and there’s so many different sounds and so many different ways of approaching…it…” Bost said.

Although he initially started out on an electric guitar, Bost’s newfound appreciation for the acoustic guitar has been an effect of his involvement in Sage’s Guitar Ensemble. He’s also currently a part of Jazz Band, for which he plays bass guitar.

When first learning to play guitar, Bost took lessons for somewhere between a year and a half to two years. He is now mainly self-taught, and uses tablature (a way of representing music that focuses primarily on fingering) and music notation(the depiction of music with musical symbols) as a way to improve.

“I am always trying to learn more as a guitar player and musician,” Bost said.

About a year and a half ago, Bost started the band Thermite. The same band now goes by The Surreals in accordance with their new sound, a form of garage rock and punk rock combined.

“It’s the same guys but we play slightly different styled music. We like to record our own music…and we also play gigs at places,” Bost said.

One of the major challenges Bost has continuously faced as an obstacle to his music playing is the trouble of trying to balance his musical interests with school.

“The most challenging part of being in a band is the making time for it.  Between school and other things in life, it can be hard to find the time to practice on a regular basis or to go out and find gigs, but that’s what’s required…” Bost said.

Nonetheless, Bost indicates that the difficulty is worth it, as he finds the process of making and playing music to be personally rewarding as a whole.

“When I hear a song that has lyrics or a melody that’s relatable to whatever I might be going through in life, it makes me feel better and lifts my spirits.  That’s why I love music, both playing it and listening to it, because it’s all about connecting with other people and that’s definitely something worth while,” Bost said.