An Article by Paxton Miller
Playing the guitar has always been a passion, but I never imagined being able to create a career around guitars. After obtaining a B.S. in Biology I intended on pursuing medical school, which changed quickly once I realized I didn’t have a passion strong enough to warrant going to medical school and everything that would follow. Following college, I worked in licensing and credentialing of healthcare providers, which was a good job but I could tell that it wasn’t going to be a career. I realized that I had reached the ceiling on how far I could go with my job after about 5 years in credentialing, which led me to researching guitar-oriented career paths. The Galloup School of Guitar Building became a recurring theme as I contemplated a pivot in my career path. Ultimately, I decided to dive in to see what would happen. It has led to a solid education of the fundamental principles and process of building guitars, further growth opportunities as an intern, and even more as an employee.
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I moved around a few times while growing up but spent most of my life in Missouri and Tennessee. Music was a passion from early on in my life, however playing the guitar wasn’t a part of my life until 10 years old. A lot of influential people in my life were guitar players, so the desire to learn had been instilled in me for a while. My mom insisted that I learn to play the piano, but my heart just wasn’t in it and I think eventually she just gave up. I got my first full-size acoustic guitar, learned a few chords from my uncles and the rest is history. I lost a lot of interest in other hobbies, like skateboarding, and spent most of my free time learning and figuring out new songs. While my “music career” consisted of playing in talent shows, my high school band, coffee shops and countless bonfires, playing the guitar has always just been an escape and way to challenge myself.
As I approached the end of high school and leading into college, I began trying to create my tentative life plan and career path. Ultimately, I decided I wanted to go the medical school route. I spent time shadowing different medical professionals, which led to having some awesome experiences, and I went on to get my B.S. in Human Biology in 2019. While I didn’t pursue the career route to practice medicine, I spent a few years as a Licensing and Credentialing Professional for healthcare providers. I got to see an administrative side of medicine that opened my eyes and further helped me realize that medicine wasn’t the path for me.
I first became aware of the Galloup School in 2023 while doing research on career paths that were more guitar oriented. I researched multiple schools, but my attention always ended up coming back to Galloup. I started my 6-month journey as a student in April 2024 and haven’t turned back. I have always loved playing the acoustic and electric guitars, but building acoustics was what caught my attention most. I spent my time as a student focusing on acoustic builds and building techniques. Sometimes it felt like I bit off more than I could chew, but my hunger to learn was able to match pace.
Following my 6 months as a student, I was offered an opportunity to stay at Galloup for an additional 6 months as an intern. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse, especially when I decided to completely pivot on my career path at the age of 30. The internship opened my eyes to a whole different point of view of the shop. I got to see the internal components that keep the shop running that are easily overlooked or not seen when you are a student. That’s when I realized how awesome our Galloup team is. The dedication and time put into the school go far beyond the scope of any sort of “role” or “position”. It’s a true labor of love. I quickly learned that the best way to solidify knowledge of the guitar building process was to teach it. I got to be involved in assisting with the long-term and short-term trainings that the school offers and started a few builds along the way.
At the end of my 6-month internship I was fortunate enough to be offered a position to be a part of the Galloup team. It started out as a bit of a “rover” position, which allowed me to really be a part of and learn even more aspects of what Galloup has to offer, both in and out of the school. I have had the opportunity to participate in a boutique guitar roadshow, meet some cool luthiers and musicians, teach, build and have made some of my closest friends along the way. While most of my time is spent in the school right now, I’m looking forward to teaching some extracurricular courses, getting more experienced with the technology that we use in the shop, and designing and launching my own line of guitars in the near future. While the standards are high and dedication is required, there has been no better place to start my career than here at Galloup.
Education-
Master’s Program: 04/29/2024 – 10/25/2024
Internship: 10/28/2024 – 05/02/2025
Employment: 05/05/2025 – Current