12 Year Old Virtuoso Wows Guitarists

"Sometimes I just play randomly," says 12 year-old guitar virtuoso Matt "Mojo" Tedder, a 7th grader at Aledo Middle School in Weatherford, Texas.

The Parker County aspiring Blues guitarist runs his fingers along the frets he's been tickling since he was 8 years old, after finding his dad's guitar hidden under a bed during a game of hide and seek.

He was originally going to play the piano, but after "Mojo's" sister began taking guitar lessons first, Tedder became so enthralled that he started to take lessons himself -- and hasn't stopped playing.

One of his guitar instructors was John Nitzinger, who was the lead guitarist for Alice Cooper and lives in Texas. Both Tedder and Nitzinger got to play on stage together in a concert at the McDavid Studio in Fort Worth's Bass Hall, back in April, 2006.

But "Mojo's" famous connections have also led him to meet another of his idols, B.B. King. "Mojo" has seen King perform twice and met the legendary bluesman backstage twice as well. The first time, "Mojo" said hello and got an autograph, as he was very nervous. The second time, though, "Mojo" spoke to King about his guitar playing and King talked with him for about 30 minutes. King stressed the importance of getting a good education and doing well in school. King was really happy to see young Mojo's love and appreciation for Blues music. Mojo says B.B. spoke to him like a grandfather would speak to his grandson.

Mojo's parents, Hatice and Charles Tedder, say they are proud of their son's accomplishments and will support him in his endeavors. They are especially proud that in addition to his musical pursuits, he remains well-rounded; concentrating on his schoolwork, as well as playing golf, basketball, and building model airplanes.

During the 2008 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in Weatherford, Mojo received a standing ovation from the audience for his guitar performance. Mojo says he does not do much singing yet, he is focused on his guitar playing, but would like to eventually do some vocal work, as well. He says he does not get nervous on stage and loves to play his guitar in front of an audience.

Mojo tells us his mentors include Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Nitzinger and B.B. King. He has also been taught and performed with Texas Blues guitarist Dennis Dullea.

"If I don't get famous," Tedder explains, "I'd like to get a degree in Engineering."

Incase your wondering, the name "Mojo" was given to Matt by his first guitar instructor, John Dennie. Matt liked it so much, he has kept the name.

You can view some of Mojo Tedder's other performances on his YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/mojotedder

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