Gabriel Manriquez recalls falling in love with punk rock music and wanting to produce the style of music himself. Manriquez says, “I wanted to make that kind of music myself as well, so I bought myself an eighty-dollar bass guitar off Craigslist. I instantly fell in love with the instrument and it’s sound.” Manriquez, a junior at Sahuaro High School with a great deal of passion for music and the guitar, started playing at the age of 14. “I love how it can be slow and can be super fast, but either way it’ll always spark emotion,” Manriquez said, explaining his love for punk rock. Some of his favorite bands are Blink-182, Green Day, All Time Low, Three Days Grace, and the list is never-ending. It was by exploring different ways of playing music that Manriquez taught himself how to play guitar. “I watched some bass players and looked at how they place their hands,” recalls Manriquez.

Manriquez is currently in the process of joining the band The Great Citizens. He explains that it has been a bit complicated joining this band because the band already has a bassist. “He has been considering  letting me take his place though due to commitment issues.” Manriquez has always wanted a life where he is happy. For him that would mean producing music. “Music is what I know I’ll always be with.”

Manriquez would like to study music, but he has yet to have guitar class on his schedule after two years of requesting it. “I just don’t know where to start,” he explained. Luckily though, he has the support of his family in following his dreams. “My dad is a music producer himself. He was in a band when he was young,” said Manriquez.

Be sure to check out Manriquez’s work at the link below:

https://youtu.be/9fHmBD36pcM