Chuck Wills
Accidental Performer
~ by Karen E. Farley
Growing up, Chuck Wills spent summer vacations on Lake Lemon at his grandparent’ s cabin. His childhood memories of the rolling hills and the forest made it easy to decide seven years ago to return to Southern Indiana with his wife, Teresa, and make Brown County his home.
“ Moving to Brown County has made a significant change in our lives,” he says.“ It’ s easier to focus on the things that matter. I believe we are here on purpose, not by accident.”
For their first Christmas in Brown County, his wife gave him a gift certificate from the Weed Patch Music Company in Nashville for guitar lessons with Kara Barnard, well-known musician, instructor, and artist.
“ It wasn’ t easy at first,” he laughs.“ I had to unlearn every bad habit I had playing the guitar.”
Wills didn’ t always play the guitar. In middle school, he discovered the trumpet and in high school, he learned to play the piano. It wasn’ t until college that he taught himself to play the guitar.
After graduating from Ball State with a degree in business administration, Wills and a friend travelled 13,000 miles through 19 states and Canada. Over three months, they camped at national parks, rode mountain bikes, played guitars, and wandered around the country. When he returned, he worked in the family business and a co-worker encouraged him to join the Greenwood Community Band. Wills played the trumpet and later started the Greenwood Brass Quintet.
In 1998, Wills married and settled down to family life with their two daughters, Jessica and Emily. The next few years were filled with work and school functions.
“ I got busy with family things and music took a back seat,” he admits.“ I even loaned my guitar to a guy for a year. I rarely played with anyone and it didn’ t seem to matter very much at the time.”
Since the move to Brown County, Wills hasn’ t put his guitar down and continues to take lessons from Barnard. He joined the Nashville Christian Church music team and then the Barnstormers. In 2009, he started an acoustic duo called
courtesy photo
The Nodding Compadres and played for several years with Shelf Life( nominated for best new band in the 2013 Brown County Music Awards). He credits the people of Brown County and Barnard for helping him rediscover music in his life.
“ I’ ve had two amazing music instructors in my life— my trumpet teacher in college and Kara,” he smiles. Kara’ s an amazing friend and mentor. She taught me the spirit behind the music. Her fingerprints are on everything I do.”
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44 Our Brown County • Jan./ Feb. 2014