Garrett Reynolds, a Tahoma senior and a Maple Valley native, will be going to the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mass in January of 2010.

The Berklee School of Music is ranked as one of the finest music schools in the country and there is stiff competition for entrance. Reynolds will start as a violin principal.

Garrett has attended school in the Tahoma School District. He is actively involved in school life as an associated student body treasurer, running sound for the district and leadership class. He also helped build and helps to run the recording studio at Tahoma. He is also busy working at The Big Apple Deli in Maple Valley to earn money to help with his college expenses.

Reynolds has been playing violin for 12 years. He is currently studying under Cherlyn Johnson. He learned to play a variety of genres of music under Johnson’s guidance and attributes this to helping him get into Berklee. Garrett has played in Renton Youth Symphony and Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras. He was one of the original eight members of the Maple Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra and played a key role in its successful beginnings. He is currently part of the worship and music team at his church, Cedar Creek Covenant Church.

While playing violin is his main passion, Reynolds is a realist when it comes to pursuing a career path. In addition to playing his violin at Berklee, he will be working on another one of his passions of Music Production and Engineering. Reynolds joked, “at least you won’t be homeless if you don’t hit the big time” stating that his future Music Production and Engineering degree will be a marketable one.

Reynolds currently has his own music production studio in his garage and enjoys working with local artists to help them create albums. He just finished working on an album for Jessica Price, an up and coming local artist.

When asked what advice he would give a young musician, Reynolds stated, “Stick with it even when you’re not feeling it.” He went on to explain how having musical experience under one’s belt when they are young pays off when they are older making music more fun and making the musician more skilled. When asked how music has affected his life, he said, “Everything I do has stemmed somehow from being involved in music.”

Reynolds will be performing in his senior recital 5 p.m. May 30 at Kent Covenant Church. The performance is free and open to the public.