More than 130 students from across High School District 214 gathered at Wheeling High School for the district’s second annual Guitar Day, a collaborative, hands-on music experience designed to inspire creativity and connection through guitar.
The daylong event featured rotating, hour-long instructional sessions led by professional clinicians specializing in Blues and Rock, Jazz and Latin Rock, and fingerstyle guitar. Students explored new techniques, learned genre-specific skills and had the opportunity to play alongside peers from other schools.
“Today we’re having our second annual Guitar Day where we invited everybody from the district into our school,” said Stephen Colella, Wheeling High School musical director. “We hired four different clinicians to work in three different styles of guitar. Students learn foundational skills like the pentatonic scale and blues riffs, and then move into improvisation and more advanced techniques.”
For students, Guitar Day offered both musical growth and a sense of community. Elk Grove High School senior Leslie Espinosa said the experience helped her deepen her skills while connecting with others through music.
“I really like the guitar and I want to upgrade my skill,” Espinosa said. “There’s a lot of peace that can be found while playing. Guitar connects you with other people and with culture. It’s something I love.”
Elk Grove High School sophomore Yaslene Solano echoed that sentiment, highlighting the opportunity to collaborate with students of varying experience levels.
“I’ve been playing guitar for three years, and it’s really cool that there’s a way to connect with people who are new or who’ve been playing for a long time,” Solano said. “You get to meet students from all over with different styles, and it’s really nice.”
Colella noted the growing interest in guitar programs across the district and the value of expanding music education beyond traditional ensembles.
“It’s exciting to see guitar branching out alongside band, orchestra and choir,” he said. “Bringing students together to learn, play and celebrate music keeps that interest growing, and it’s incredible to see how engaged they are.”
District 214 Guitar Day continues to highlight the guitar as an accessible and engaging pathway for students to explore music, build skills and form meaningful connections across schools.