I had the privilege of watching Chase and his grandpa this summer spend every single day together from early morning till late evening, only going in the house to eat a lunch his mam-maw fixed for them.

Larry and Nancy are our next-door neighbors, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. This summer Chase’s mom suggested he not work but spend time with his POP. Which it didn’t take Chase long to make that decision.

The love they have for each other runs deep and music is just as deep. Chase and his POP would hop on the golf cart early morning five days a week. It was such a joy to watch them together I walked out to the shop one morning to cure my curiosity, just as I expected. They had their heads together trying to come up with a solution to a new kind of instrument. You see their love for guitars is like none other. Chase’s sister Morgan introduced Chase to her guitar when he was young, and it has become a passion for him and his POP. The summer they have spent together will be a lifetime of memories.

Chase is a senior at NC State and has a double major in electrical and computer engineering. To converse with him it doesn’t take long to realize this young man has knowledge beyond but if you ask him his first passion is spending time with his POP to see what new instrument they can come up with.

They make all the guitars from scratch, either it’s a shovel they were able to put together and play or a soup can on a piece of wood and some string to elaborate beautiful guitars. To be in the shop with them and hear them describe the different kinds of wood they use for specific reasons is awesome. Spending 6-hours a day five days a week this summer making memories is something Chase will never forget.

Kinda glad for me Chase decided not to work this summer, I think his mom Nikki had the right idea. I was able to witness this bond every morning. This is Chase’s last semester at NC State but no doubt in my heart he will stick close to his POP.