Growing up in West Texas, it is hard for any 13-year-old boy to imagine anything, but afternoons spent on a football field and basking under the view of Thursday or Friday night stadium lights. However, for Wyatt Kenney, the allure of getting to bend strings and make music was, by far, more intriguing than any sport.
Wyatt began playing piano at the age of 6. At 8, he began taking violin lessons. Although learning violin in the traditional Suzuki method, Wyatt very early on persuaded his instructor to introduce traditional fiddle songs and techniques. He will often be asked what the difference between a violin and fiddle is. Wyatt usually just grins and says, “a violin has strings, and a fiddle has “strangs.” Some of Wyatts playing has been seat-of-the-pants experiences. At 8 years old, he began regularly playing at church. Practice for Sunday services ranged from very informal to none at all, so he learned to sight read on his violin very quickly. Wyatt recalls, “I remember during Covid, our church did not have services inside the building. We met in the parking lot similar to a drive-in theater. Some Sundays it would be just my dad and I standing on an old cotton trailer. I would play my violin and dad would sing the hymns.” Getting to learn and play hymns has had a profound influence on Wyatt. His solo performances usually include a large number of traditional hymns and gospel songs intertwined with traditional folk, fiddle, bluegrass, and early country songs. “I guess Gospel music would be my first love. That is why I started playing.” Wyatt ponders, “I never want to lose sight of where my gift to play instruments comes from. I like to say God gives you the talent, your gift to Him is using it for His glory.”” It is not uncommon to find Wyatt playing a guitar and his sister Taylor singing hymns together. As his number one fan she is always happy to supply impromptu vocals to his picking.
During his time playing for church, he met a professional instrumentalist who introduced him to the bass guitar. After some discussion and persuasive pleading to his mom and dad, he began taking lessons on “just one more instrument.” His mom and I remember sitting and watching during one of his lessons. His teacher was showing him some chords and how to string them together. At one point he said “see, play these like this and you have a walking bass line.” Wyatts’ face immediately broke into the biggest grin, and I could see his wheels go into motion. Within hours of his lesson, he was at home with Faron Youngs’ Wine Me Up on his stereo and playing his bass right along with it.
Wyatts’ latest instrumental undertaking is the dobro. Also known as a resonator guitar, the sound can be described as a unique mix of guitar, banjo, and steel guitar. Dobro is played extensively in bluegrass and early country music and has an incredibly unique sound. Wyatt states, “I ultimately want to learn to play a traditional pedal steel guitar, so dobro is helping me learn the picking and barring techniques I will need to play steel.”
Of course, all the talent in the world is not useful without proper and correct instruction. Once again Wyatt feels like God has blessed him beyond all measures. Wyatt has had the opportunity to be taught, coached, and mentored by some of the most respected musicians in their field. His teachers have continually gone above and beyond the call of a typical “music teacher” to help Wyatt develop his talents to their fullest extent, while also helping him avoid so many of the pitfalls a developing musician needs to be aware of. However, music is not the only area they have mentored him in. Wyatt came home one day from a piano lesson and when asked what he had worked on with his piano instructor Wyatt replied, “well we played a little bit of piano but then we talked about the bible and how music relates to how we worship God.” He continued excitedly, “I feel like I had as much of a bible lesson as I did a piano lesson.” Other times, early on, his instructors have driven a hundred miles or more to help him set up for a gig and provide backup instruments.
Wyatt has been described as having a soul that is as old as the town he lives nearby. When not practicing music, Wyatt spends his days helping feed and take care of our animals. “We have horses, cows, chickens, rabbits, a donkey, cat, fish, and several dogs. I also work part time in the summer on some of the cotton farms around our place.” The ghost town of Estacado Texas near Wyatts’ home faded into history during the middle of the last century. Some of the most influential music Wyatt draws inspiration from was written during that era. “I can’t tell you how many times he will be looking for music or lyrics for a certain song and the shop owner will say,” You are not old enough to even know who that is”” “. Wyatt can usually recite the date the song was recorded, instrumentalist who played in the studio, and various other facts pertaining to the album. During his time in public school Wyatt won his school district 1st place in Music Memory Academic UIL competition for six consecutive years.
Learning five instruments takes quite a bit of time. Lessons alone take up 3 to 5 hours per week. Then there is practice, which is like kneading of his soul. He also finds time for self-teaching of two more instruments (harmonica and acoustic guitar). A few years ago, Wyatt became frustrated with not being able to put the time into his instruments they require. Wyatts’ dad recalls, “Wyatt came to us and said, “mom, dad, if I am ever going to go anywhere or do anything playing instruments, I need more time to practice them properly. I feel like I get out of school, go to my lessons and then we eat and go to bed.”” His mom and I had a serious gut check moment. We had vaguely entertained the idea of homeschooling during Covid but had not really thought anymore about it. Wyatt asked us if he could be homeschooled in order to give him more time to pursue his love of playing music. After much prayer, thought and consideration, my wife resigned her job as a schoolteacher and began to homeschool Wyatt and his sister. It is not uncommon for Wyatt to get up at 5:30 in the morning and go into his music room and play for hours. Wyatt is very much a self-motivated kid. He is continually listening to new music, learning different songs, expanding his playlist, and learning new licks to songs he has played for years.
Of course, having the opportunity to perform his music for others is a sweet reward for the hours he pours into practicing. Wyatt routinely gets to play bass guitar for his church praise band. Playing at church is one of the most direct ways he feels he can honor God with his talents as well as minister to others through music. He has also played his dobro and violin for church. Wyatt truly has shown to have a servant's heart. Along with his music he can be routinely found volunteering to help with projects like building Snak-pacs for kids, Carpenters Kitchen homeless outreach as well as spending time sharing his knowledge and love of music and instruments with others. Wyatt is invited yearly to go into the public school and demonstrate his instruments to children as well as talk about the history and development of the instruments. He also never misses an opportunity to help a friend learn something new or a new technique to play an instrument. He recently taught a boy a little younger than him to read Nashville Notation. This is a form of writing music which involves numbers instead of notes. It is commonly used among studio musicians because of the ease in which the key of the song can be changed to suit vocal needs. Wyatt has had opportunities to play several solo instrumental gigs at the Coyote Store in Gail Texas. He has been asked to play for receptions, festivals and had an opportunity to lead the music in worship services at a summer church camp. Wyatt has also had the opportunity to play impromptu at Cooks Garage in Lubbock Texas as well as Ray Stevens Piano Bar, historic RCA Studio B, and The Johnny Cash Bar and BBQ in Nashville Tennessee.
Looking forward Wyatt hopes to continue getting to play as much as possible. Wyatt states, “My goal is to have a band one of these days and I have thought about maybe writing songs.” Whatever his future may hold Wyatt will tell you he will happily trade that pigskin and stadium lights for an instrument and some stage lights any day, or possibly a Sunday morning.
