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Middle school student plays the blues | Kids Who Make SA Great

Jonah Gonzalez had put his guitar down until the blues gave him a reason for a pickup.

SAN ANTONIO — No activity in Jonah Gonzalez's life matches his time on the guitar. He tried football, soccer, and a few other things but said they were not as appealing.

The 14-year-old's father, Bryan Gonzalez, remembers teaching his firstborn 'air guitar' and some beginner knowledge.

"I would always place a guitar on him, you know, on his lap," Gonzalez said. "And I would tell him, okay, that's the E string, or that's the B string."

At two, Jonah started his journey of playing the guitar in the light of a father's dreams.

"He's going to be a race car driver. He's going to be a football star. He's going to be a rock star," Gonzalez recalled.

Credit: Courtesy: The Gonzalez family
After Jonah picked up the guitar at two years old, he could not put it down.

Jonah's father and other family members had a musical background in Tejano. The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Middle School student played in a different direction.

"Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors," Jonah said.

His father had tried a different musical path too. Jonah got lessons and kept up a solid academic resume.

The honor society student had several people influence his musical choices, especially his grandfather.

Louis Gonzalez had a special relationship with his grandson. Jonah said his grandfather would tear up at his recitals.

During the pandemic, the tears came from Jonah after COVID claimed his grandfather's life.

"I was just kind of done with things, I guess, 'cause my grandpa had just died, and he was really close to me," Jonah said. "He's one of the main reasons why I started playing guitar."

Jonah put his instrument aside because life became more emotionally complicated. He said he lacked motivation after his parents parted ways.

"That was rough on me," he said. "Somehow, I just picked up the again."

Jonah started playing the blues to help him cope. His grandfather had also exposed him to the genre. So, he began to explore it.

"Different sound. Different, like, licks and stuff, you know," Jonah said. 

Credit: Courtesy: The Gonzalez family
Jonah plays a set outside of a local business.

His love for the blues took off. Garcia Middle School Band Director found a spot for him in the school's jazz band.

"I'm the luckiest person in the world. He showed up at my doorstep with counselors saying he wanted to be in band," Chris Cintron said. "Great. I've got a jazz band with no guitar players right now."

He described his guitarist as 'easy.' According to Cintron, Jonah asks a couple of questions, and then he's on it.

While the students get exposed to swing, Latin, rock, and other genres, blues speaks its own language.

"The blues is invoking something inside of you, something inside your soul that you want to come out and share with somebody," Cintron said. "It could be pain. It could be happiness. It could be sadness. It could be longing." 

For Jonah, it was therapeutic and connected him to his grandfather.

"I love the blues because you can just, like, get lost it,"  Jonah said.  

He said Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, and  B.B. King are his favorites of all time.

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