How a Rush tribute band inspired this Quispamsis teen to reach for Berklee

School's out for summer unless you're Evan Shelton.

The 16-year-old will be heading to a five-week summer music program atBerklee College of Music in Boston with a full scholarship.

"I still don't get it, it's awesome," said Shelton, while fiddling with the strings ofhis blue 1991 Charvel 275 deluxe guitar.

"I'm so happy about it."

During the summer program, called Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive, the teenwill take part in a rock workshop where he will play and study the theory of rock music.

Over the years, artists such as Meghan Trainor, Daniel Platzman from Imagine Dragons, and Jackie Foster from The Voice have takenthe summer music program.

A bit of serendipity

Shelton, who just finished Grade 10 at Kennebecasis Valley High School,was at Classic Albums Live in Saint John two years ago,playing his guitar at a kitchen party, when a Rush tribute bandcame over to listen to him play.

For some reason it just clicked in my head and I knew it was what I wanted to do.-Evan Shelton, musician

"They said if Iwasn't underage, they would've hired me on the spot," he said.

Then they told him he should apply to Berklee.

Shelton said he was shocked when he heard this because he never thought he was good enough for such a prestigious music school.

"It kind of put things into perspective like," he said. "I might need to do this for a living."

From paper boy to Berklee

So he sent in his application in Januaryalong with thousands of other people.

Shelton submitted three audition pieces, where he played songs from the 1980s by U.S. musician Jason Becker and rock bandsWhite Lion and Harem Scarem.

"I chose really challenging songs that not many people would do nowadays," he said in an interview with Information Morning Saint John.

He also wrote a 1,500-word essay explaining how music is his passion. He talked about being a paper boy for about six years and how he couldn't afford schooling as expensive as Berklee.

Tuition isjust over $5,000 US.

In April, Shelton received a phone call during his lunch hour at school. His parents were calling to tell him he was one ofabout 900 people accepted intothe college's summer music programs.

"I was really excited when I got acceptedand in shock," he said.

Family road trips and Abba

The teen has always considered himself a musician with an interest in different styles such asblues, hard rock, hair metal and jazz fusion.

"I love it," he said. "I wish I was in the '80s."

Some of his favourite artists are Candian guitarists Ian Thornley and Nick Johnston.

Shelton attributed his diverse style ofmusic to his parents. On family trips, Shelton said, they would listen to everything from Abba to Joe Satriani.

How it all started

The teen knew he wanted to play guitar by the age of seven, when he heard his dad playing the song Africa by Toto on the guitar.

"For some reason it just clicked in my head and I knew it was what I wanted to do," he said. "That song was really what started me playing."

He got his first guitar that Christmas and started taking lessons the next fall.

"I kept progressing with my playing and just trying to challenge myself a little more."

And Shelton will continue to challenge himself this summer under the direction of Marty Walsh, an assistant professor at Berklee. Walsh recorded with famous artists such as Dolly Parton, Donna Summer and Neil Diamond.

"I'm really excited to see what I can get out of a five-week program from them."