Submitted photo.

It was the opening riff of Ratt’s “Lay it Down” that spoke to the prepubescent heart of musician Gary Weilage.  Watching him relive that moment during this interview, I caught the grin he flashed at his on-looking classic guitar student, Emma Thomas. Mimicking the notes with his voice while miming the guitar action, he added, “I knew then exactly what I wanted to do. That intro riff just had it for me.” Looking at Gary goofing with his student, who was now returning the grin, it was easy to bare witness to that which separates professional musician Gary Weilage from so many others. Gary Weilage always gives back.

Fueled by that guitar riff, Gary taught himself to play the guitar in a week using his father’s acoustic guitar and the fingering diagrams in his father’s songbooks. Gary performed all though high school at Warren Central, was even voted “most talented” by his class, but was constantly reminded by his family, friends and colleagues that there was no money or a career to be made in making music. Putting his passion for the guitar and love of singing to the back of his life as a hobby he went about marrying and starting a family. He started a promising career as a restaurant manager on the rise to upper management, but he soon realized that his dream was slipping away. He made the life changing decision to go back to school and commit himself to reaching his dream of being a professional musician.

Gary Weilage did not merely travel down the road that lead to his dreams of being a professional musician; he pounded and hacked his way to blaze his own path. Always keeping a firm grip on his own dream and the need to demonstrate to his own children that any dream was attainable, he went through years of adversity, at one point lost nearly everything, and yet still started over again. During the time he pursued his degree in music at Western Kentucky University with an emphasis in classic guitar, he waited tables, he delivered pizzas, and he performed for countless hours in the restaurants and bars of the area.

Today his life is so full of music and the demands of his career, that it is nearly impossible to find him being still or at rest for just a moment of friendship. Currently he is the Director of Liturgy and Music for Saint Anthony’s Church in Utica, Kentucky, working under Father Mike Clark the Diocesan Administrator. He has a guitar program at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School in Hopkinsville and another at Christ the King School in Madisonville. To compliment that Gary teaches private lessons in Bowling Green and the surrounding area. To date he has some 20 students, some of which he teaches at Kentucky Music and others in the comfort of their homes. He still performs constantly though sporadically in the Catholic churches of the region; however you can catch him every week at the Newman Center on WKU’s campus.  Not too long ago you could see him and a fellow church member, Marie Spears, play at Starbucks on Campbell Lane.

It doesn’t stop there. As proof of his achievement and his talent he performed at the ordination of Bishop Medley in Owensboro on February 10, 2010. Playing for his church for such major event is just as important to him as being ready for any performance or mass. He practices daily. You never see him play with a pick, even on an electric guitar which he confesses is still his true love.

When asked why he continues to teach students as young as my own 11 year old child, Emma Thomas, the grinning adoring student mentioned before, he said, “Teaching young people keeps your skills sharp. They keep me up on my chops and I have to remind myself to be better.” He talked on about how much he loved teaching young people, about their energy, and how much joy it gave him to see them develop as musicians and artists.

For me as a visual artist and writer, what I saw was his passion. When Gary entered my home that night not only for Emma’s lesson but also for the interview, one of the night’s objectives was to inspect the new guitar I had bought her. I had enrolled the help of fellow guitarist Vern Willis to help me find Emma a second guitar, “a beater guitar” as Willis calls it.  I had the guitar in my hand, ready to show Gary when he arrived. Instantly he snatched the guitar from hands and exclaimed, “What a beauty!” He ran his hands over the surface, along the neck and strings. He turned it every which way. He strummed it and tuned it. I just watched. Minutes later, well into Emma’s lesson, I heard the two of them use the language of the classically trained. Minutes after that I heard Gary say, “Rip it up Emma! Go girl!” and I heard her giggle.

Gary Weilage continues to give himself back to his church, his community and his students every day.  You can contact him through Facebook currently and soon he will have his own website.

About the author: Franne J. has lived in 5 major cities and 7 states, but has always loved this area and considered Bowling Green home. She’s been a part of and writing about the local art and music scene, off and on, since the mid-90’s. She recently met the love of her life, a ship’s captain, who has encouraged her to write again. Find her on Facebook.