C.A. House Music guitar contest doubles in size

ZANESVILLE – Thirteen competitors, four judges, one grand prize: a Fender Standard Stratocaster electric guitar.

The second guitar competition hosted by C.A. House Music in Zanesville took place Saturday with nearly double the attendance of last year.

Ben Rush, guitar manager for C.A. House Music, said the event started as a way to give musicians a chance to play for an audience, which many in this area haven’t had.

“That’s the reason we all do it,” he said. “Like the boy who played the classical piece. He probably hasn’t had very much opportunity to play in front of people.”

The boy was 9-year-old Austin Tysinger, of Blue Rock, who ended up placing second in the competition, and the piece was “Andante from Sonata 17” by Niccolo Paganini.

It’s true this was his first competition, but he has played in recitals before, and two years ago when Florida Georgia Line performed at the Muskingum County Fair, Tysinger got to go on stage and sing with the band.

He’s been playing for three years and got into the instrument after he watched it being played on TV. His father, Shane Tysinger, said the competition was another good opportunity for him to perform as well as a chance to win a free guitar.

Tysinger ended up winning a $25 gift card for second place.

“The song I played (Saturday) I learned on Monday,” Tysinger said. “It was fun.”

The winner of the competition, Justin Meyers, who beat Tysinger by two points, said he heard about the competition just one day before it happened.

“I really enjoy these contests,” he said.

Meyers lives in Pickerington and goes to school in Los Angeles. He wants to be a full-time touring musician, and he competed in Saturday’s event with a guitar he built himself.

“Any beginning musician, I would suggest they get out and play in front of people,” he said. “You play different ... than you do in your room.”

The four judges were all associated with the local music scene, Rush said, as teachers or performers. After the competition, many participants stayed to meet each other and check out the guitars everyone used.

That’s another reason for hosting the competition, Rush said: allowing local musicians who might not know each other the chance to network and expand the music community.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said.

ksnyder2@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

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Twitter: @KL_Snyder