K-W grad keeps on strummin'

When it comes to reading, writing and arithmetic Lauren Peters does just fine. But music is where she excels.

The standout Kenyon-Wanamingo High School senior has penned 13 original songs.

In seventh grade Peters received a guitar for her birthday. She taught herself to play and now spends much of her free time crafting songs.

"Whenever I have time," is when Peters says she plays. "Once I sit down I can play for hours. My favorite thing to do is sit on the steps and play guitar and see what happens."

And that's how she writes her songs — picking a chord that reflects her mood, then letting the song mold itself.

"The lyrics just float over the top of the beat, nothing's ever planned," Peters said.

As to her style, Peters can't really describe her sound.

"It's hard to explain, because my songs vary so much," she said, noting there are both pop and alternative sounds in her songs.

Peters is headed to college at Concordia-Moorhead next fall, where she'll pursue a degree in music education. But that's more or less a backup plan.

"I'd like to go into performance," Peters said.

She's played a couple of local shows but booking gigs in a small town can be tough. That's in part why Peters is excited about next fall.

At college, she plans to hit the coffee shops and open mics in order to improve her chops. She also hopes to get into a studio to record. In the meantime she'll record music at her home.

Peters says if her dreams of becoming a performer don't come to fruition, she's cool with becoming a teacher. Especially if she can teach students like her friends in her choir class.

"If I had class like we did then it would be fantastic. We're small but we got potential," she said.

Peters — set to graduate at 1 p.m. Sunday in the K-W High School gymnasium — says she's excited but not overwhelmed by her graduation.

"It's just another step in life," she said.

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