Aden Carson

Aden Carson, 18, came to his craft through family. He began on one instrument but was influenced by other musical relatives to take a different path.

“There are a lot of musicians in my family,” Carson said, “but I was really influenced by my dad and my grandpa to pick up the guitar. At the time I had already been drumming for a year, but I decided I wanted to play guitar as well and haven’t looked back since.”

Family is important, but so is the encouragement of a teacher who builds the student’s confidence through the years.

“I began studying music at Wabash Music with Terry LeMaster,” he said. “I have been with him for nine years, and I cannot express how thankful I am to have him as an instructor. He has helped me become the musician I am today. Whether it be by learning songs or theory, he has been there and has done a tremendous job as a teacher.”

With plans to earn a degree in music and production through Purdue Fort Wayne and Sweetwater, Carson hopes to build a career in music and performance. Sweetwater is already the site of his favorite performance so far.

“My favorite moment as a musician was working at GearFest for Audient and then having the opportunity to perform the Sweetwater Pavilion in the same week,” he said. “It was special because there are a lot of talented musicians in the area that they could have picked, and I was thankful that they selected me to have the job. Then to top it off, playing at the pavilion was a blessing and was the most fun I’ve had on stage.”