You might have spotted this young musician around the streets of Eaglehawk and Bendigo strumming a tune, but who is he?!

Jayden Davis is an aspiring young musician and has been only playing the guitar for eight months but he has a natural affinity for it. “I started one day after seeing Michael play, and then decided to give it a go myself. It went from that to playing at lunchtimes and at home to now playing out on the streets and making some money”.

“It just takes me away, I just sit there and play”.


We asked why Jayden enjoys playing so much, he said “It helps with a lot of things. Helps me calm down, it just takes me away. I just sit there and play.”

Jayden practices whenever he gets the chance to; after completing all his work, during his breaks and countless hours at home. “When I first started I was hooked, I was playing at school every minute, and I would finish all my work as soon as I could so I could practice and I spent my whole
lunchtimes playing. When I was able to take the guitar home I was playing at night until 7pm as I didn’t want to disturb my neighbours.”

“Even when my fingers were so sore they bled I kept playing”.

For the first few weeks when learning an instrument is at that “this is impossible “ level, Jayden practiced the same thing for countless hours, and then after a while changing his chords became easy as it became muscle memory.

“One morning I woke up with my hand shaped in a C chord”.

“I’m fascinated by the old classics. I love rockabilly, blues, rock and roll, pop and some country. I love bands like Zeppelin, ACDC and Metallica”.

I tend to busk around the Aldi in Eaglehawk, but I sometimes play at the Golden Square Woolies and at Coles in Bendigo. I want to start playing in cafes and providing people with music while they eat and hang out”.

Since Jayden has been completley self taught, we were curious if he would ever take lessons, “I’ve learnt everything from YouTube videos, and once I learnt how to read tabs, the internet has given him limitless material to learn. So I’ve got this far without lessons, but maybe I will in the future”.

We asked Jayden if he has any advice for students his age or for anyone wanting to learn an instrument; “Just keep at it, don’t stop doing it, don’t listen to the people who bring you down and say you won’t get any good, if you really want it, practice every day and you’ll improve.”

Jayden tends to spend his busking cash on all sorts of things, he often helps out his family with groceries, or buying new strings.
He is saving up for a new steel string acoustic guitar as the sound is richer.
Jayden’s iconic guitar has had a long and unusual history. The guitar had belonged to the Outreach program since its inception, and since has been battered and bruised. When Jayden started playing it, it was near unplayable and held intact by sticky tape. After showing an interest, staff at ESC got the guitar repaired and Jayden was ready to go. He was going to move back to NSW and got all his friends and teachers’ signatures on it.

“I want more young people to go out and do something with their lives, play guitar or some instrument, or even go for a ride. Kids these days have to be an individual. Cause most kids don’t do anything these days.”

Sadly this local musician has left our Burra to live down in the NSW! We thank Jayden on behalf of the Eaglehawk community for giving our locals great music while they shop.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here