After a lifetime spent as a huge music fan, Rick Burleyson is taking matters into his own hands — literally.
For the last year, Burleyson — a fan and collector of everything from Led Zeppelin to Concord’s own Avett Brothers — has been taking banjo lessons.
Burleyson, 49, is the sole candidate for a two-year term on Mount Pleasant Town Commission. Burleyson was selection by the board this year to fill an empty seat on the board until the election.
“There is some very tough fingering,” Burleyson said of his banjo lessons. “This is the first instrument I’ve attempted to learn.”
If he does happen to development some chops on the banjo, Burleyson said he’s not interested in any sort of performance — just playing with other people in the community.
“I’m looking to try to find local jam sessions with people who want to play and share,” said Burleyson, who notes Neil Young as his favorite artist. “But I’ll not be performing in front of other people anytime soon.”
His children also have the music-lover gene — all of them are or were formerly involved in high school marching band. Burleyson is involved with the Mount Pleasant Marching Band and accompanies the group on their many road trips.
His youngest son in the drum major for the Mount Pleasant High School marching band.
And Burleyson said his varied taste in music has also rubbed off on his three children.
“My oldest son definitely has,” he said. “And I think all of them are more willing to listen to other music, like bluegrass.”
Burleyson is a former mill worker, who got the bug to complete his education around 2000.
“I kind of figured out that I need to do something different,” said Burleyson, who is now a systems programmer for Duke Energy.
Whit Moose Jr. got to know Burleyson and his family over the years as patrons of his business Moose Drug Store. Later, their children played sports together.
“He’s a good person and very straight up with everything,” Moose said. “(Mount Pleasant) needs people like Rick, who are young and forward-thinking. He’s not one who likes to hear himself talk.”
-Eric Deines
