“I always knew that he had it.” Clay Willey had a sense his grandson was musically gifted since he was a child. And his instinct turned out to be true! That skill of music must run in the family because both grandpa and grandson are members of the School of Rock West Des Moines.
You’re probably wondering: how can somebody possibly sense someone is gifted with musical talent? Well, it started before Kameron (Kam) Willey was even born.
“I have two sons and a daughter. My daughter didn't want any music. I've had drums forever. My oldest son which is Kameron father would fall asleep to the bass drum while I play,” Clay explained.
Kameron’s father liked music but other passions came about as life progressed. When Kam came around, Grandpa Clay bought him a set of drums at the age of 7. In this day and age, there are many other types of hobbies and entertainment (video games!)
It’s hard to compete with video games but good music can do the trick. Pretty soon, Kam visited Grandpa every Thursday for a lesson and gravitated toward music. Now, he’s in the West Des Moines house band playing bass, guitar, drums, and piano.
The duo also frequently jams together in Clay’s basement – who doesn’t love a personal rock ‘n roll space?
“It’s fun having something in common and shared interests,” Kam said.
While it’s fun to jam at home, there’s something special about playing together in front of a crowd. That crossover happened recently at Kenny’s Garage after the adult band performance.
“It brings us closer, knowing we are both practicing to becoming better musicians and have something in common,” Kam said.
Grandpa has been a big supporter since day one, but he’s also a great teacher: inspiring Kam on other technical skills such as stage presence and how to have fun with music.
So when Kam becomes a superstar, one thing is certain… His manager will be the man who inspired him from day one: Grandpa Clay.
Related stories: