Although the rhythmic work of De Soto High School’s band as a whole is well-known and enjoyed by the student body, sophomore Connor McCall shows exceptional talents in music that make him stand out from the rest.

Unlike most members of the DHS band, who generally work with one instrument throughout their whole band career, McCall plays an assortment of different musical devices.

“I play guitar, bass guitar, upright bass, trumpet, ukulele and mandolin,” McCall said. “I’m also working on learning drums, and I play a little bit of percussion on the side.”

McCall has been interested in music for most of his life, and he was first inspired to pursue music at a relatively early age.

“I’ve been into music since I was very young, so it’s just something that I really connect with,” McCall said. “I started playing trumpet in fifth grade, and in eighth grade I switched over to bass guitar, which is now my main instrument.”

McCall believes that he is able to use his musical skills in multiple ways because of his tendency to “gravitate towards new instruments naturally.” Although McCall prefers the guitar and bass guitar, he continues to push himself to try out unfamiliar instruments.              

“The two most challenging [instruments] that I am working on right now are upright bass and drums,” McCall said. “For drums, you have to move all four of your limbs independently and at different times. Upright bass is just very physically demanding. It requires a lot of strength to play.”

Along with finding time to learn the fundamentals and techniques of his instruments of interest, McCall uses his skills to bring versatility to Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band and the pit band for the upcoming musical. He plans on being a part of the percussion ensemble later in the year as well.

The unique capability that McCall brings to the music programs at DHS has earned him a well-deserved leadership position.

“I’m the section leader for the pit, or the front ensemble, which is the part of drumline that doesn’t march,” McCall said. “I’m also one of the co-captains on drumline.”

After high school, McCall plans to carry his music career with him to college and the years after.

“I actually want to get a degree in music composition because I want to pursue either a side-career or a main career as a music writer,” McCall said.

While McCall’s rare passion for music allows him to be recognized for his amazing talents, he continues to be involved in a community that shares his same interests, and he feels inspired by the gifted musicians around him.

“[Music] has always been a really big part of my life,” McCall said. “Honestly, I owe all I do to the people that have inspired me to start playing. If it wasn’t for my parents being super into music and my band director pushing me to pick up bass, I would never have gotten this into music.”