In a school where lockers clang and shoes squeak, senior Manoli Leventis walks through the crowd of faces. When he lifts his guitar and plays, the talented boy becomes a whole new person, with melodies that write stories.

Some people just like music for fun, but for Leventis it has a deeper meaning than that. Playing music has been a getaway to a world of peace for Leventis. His self-confidence has positively increased since beginning playing and it has been only going up from there.

Music has been a big part of Leventis life ever since he was young. The appeal of a guitar was something that he couldn’t look away from. A slight smile appears on his face as he talks about how he appreciates the benefits that playing has brought him every day.

“I will admit ever since I started I have gotten a lot more confident since… stress relief… hand eye coordination… It’s all perks. I won’t lose anything if I keep at it except a lot of money on strings,” Leventis said.

Even though the guitar was too big for him when he held his first one, he never let go. Leventis has been musically inclined since he was young and holding the guitar his mom had in her room was a very different experience for him, being that it was way too big for him caused an on edge feeling. His eyes dart around the room, but a chuckle comes out when reminiscing about this past event.

Although after his parents saw his urge to try to play it, he received a ukulele for Christmas and got to comfortably play it all the time, which ultimately sparked his interest.

“Overwhelmed. There was a lot going on. Going back to when I first picked up a real guitar, obviously there was not only a lot going on, it was also a lot of mass because at that point the body of that guitar was like the size of my torso,” Leventis said.

For a hobby or professionalism, nothing is taking away the guitar from Leventis. Knowing that the music industry is a hard business to be in, he won’t let it stop him from continuing music even if it is not professionally. His hands move around as he talks in a confident tone that music means a lot to him and he would never give that up.

“Even if it’s not a professional way, where I’m like oh my God I’m making another album and I have to get done in a week and a half. I think I’ll still keep at it, but even if I don’t make it I will still do it as a hobby kind of thing,” Leventis said.

Being in the music industry sounds like music to Leventis ears. If he doesn’t go pro he has no fear. He’s thought of a backup plan for his life career that is cohesive to continuing being involved within the music industry.

“If it’s not playing music it’s definitely something within music. I’m thinking about either a sound engineer of some kind or a luthier, that’s like the kind of person who makes the high-end, handbuilt, guitars,” Leventis said

Whether it’s building, playing, or engineering, the passion for music will never leave his veins. Leventis, with his guitar in hand, walks down the road to success.