William Gay, a senior, is somewhat of a musical anomaly. Although he is a somewhat reserved and awkward guy upon first meeting, on stage, his voice is mesmerizing. With perfect pitch, Gay mixes his natural talent with meticulous self-discipline to place incredibly well in all auditions.

“Will has perfect pitch, which I see as a gift from God, but he also have been indoctrinated into the world of music since he was a little kid,” close friend and senior Camden Lashley said.

As an eighth grader, Gay not only made first chair in choir All Region but the top band in the band Region as well, setting an extremely high standard at the start of his musical career. Since then, Gay has ceased to disappoint. Over the past five years, he has made first chair every year for choir, even making first chair in All State his junior year, has made the national choir, and continues to make top band every year.

“I was a little bit surprised at his ranking his first year because he was trying out against juniors and seniors, but he is very diligent about learning his music and he has a beautiful voice,” choir director Randy Erwin said. “It’s not given to him. He works very hard. So it didn’t surprise me after that.”

No matter his talent, the senior is not looking to enter a career of music but instead, rocket science. However, if Gay uses his natural talent and continues to be driven, it is certain that Gay would not only succeed in his career but will also make ground breaking strides in it.

“There’s something satisfying about rocket science,” he said. “There’s so many inter-working parts. I’ve always been fascinated by space, and my sheer curiosity has molded me to put myself out there and maybe discover something never seen before.”

However, no matter the career he enters, both Lashley and Erwin believe that Gay will be successful in whatever field he chooses and that music will always be a guiding factor in his life.

“Will is just an incredibly intelligent and kind guy,” Lashley said. “Whatever he ends up doing, he’d be amazing at.”