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November Student Spotlight: Ian Backhaus

For November, we are recognizing a young student who is excellent at holding down the low end – bassist Ian Backhaus. Ian is a student of Paul Tokarz, and a member of a Stages student band, also under the guidance of Paul, who says of Ian “I have been teaching him for a few years now and he is an excellent student. He is always prepared for his lessons and band rehearsals and has a great attitude and work ethic. He is a fast learner, usually learning an entire song on bass in 1 or 2 lessons. Ian is interesting because he has a kind and soft spoken personality, but loves heavy metal music.”

Read on to learn more about Ian in his own words…

Ian can pull off many musical styles and has a willingness to step out of his comfort zone in order to grow. 

Paul TokarzStages Instructor

What do you study and why did you pick that instrument?

I play the bass guitar. I chose it because I thought it would be a cool instrument to play in the school band. But I quit the school band and stayed with Stages because I learned more here.

Who is your teacher and what do you love about them?

My teacher is Paul Tokarz. I like how he teaches me and makes sure I understand before moving on. He’s also funny and we like the same music.

What kind of music do you listen to or play? Who is one of your favorite artists?

I like Classic Rock the most. I always liked the music my dad listens to. Recently my favorite artist has been Van Halen. But I also listen to a lot of Quiet Riot, Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, Queen, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

What has been your greatest musical challenge?

Trying to learn how to read music. Right now I learn music by tablature.

What’s your favorite thing about Stages or do you have a favorite Stages memory?

My favorite thing about Stages is playing in bands every year. I like being able to play songs up on a stage, play with other people, and learning all different kinds of music.

What are your musical goals? What is one of your non-music-related goals?

My ultimate musical goal to be in a really famous band. I think it would be cool to get scholarships for High School and maybe even College. My non-music goal would be to collect a bunch of old cars and trucks and fix them up.

Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself not related to music.

This past year I was inducted into the National Junior Honors Society.

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