Music drifts down the science hall and seems to pull students inside one classroom. The normal class chatter has hushed to a murmur. Alex Stewart stands by the front board and plays a piece of music intended for the teacher. Soon enough, the room is silent as every student is intently listening, intrigued by the sound of a Mozart quartet. “Music is one of those things we can’t live without. You can say more to a person in a few seconds of music, than several-- days even of words,” junior Alex Stewart said. Stewart has played the oboe for eight years. He began in the third grade after members of the Asheville Symphony visited his class. Now, he never wants to stop. “It is kind of like the concept of love at first sight, I guess. As soon as I heard the oboe, I knew that’s what I wanted to play,” Stewart said. “It’s all I can see myself doing. It’s been my plan since the third grade--to be a music major.” Stewart can be seen throughout Roberson with his oboe case. Chemistry teacher Lisa DellaGuardia has picked up on his fondness for the instrument. “I think he has that oboe with him all the time. He appears to take it with him wherever he goes. I think he recognizes the he can’t not play it,” DellaGuardia said. Stewart practices seasonally. If he is preparing a piece, he will work at least an hour to an hour and a half each day. “He spends a good amount of time practicing. He is very dedicated,” sophomore and classmate Laura Erickson said. The time he puts in seems to pay off. According to Stewart, he has played in the Asheville Buncombe Youth Symphony, the Hendersonville Youth Symphony, and the Asheville Symphony in an oboe trio his freshman year. “I love that it’s unique. I love that it’s so incredibly expressive. I love that it’s a challenge,” Stewart said. The oboe is one of three instruments played with a double reed, meaning it has two pieces of cane vibrating against each other. Each oboe of high quality can take 12-15 years to make. “I could work at the oboe my entire life and never be perfect. Perfection is unattainable,” Stewart said. Practice comes whenever he feels like working on the music, or even performing. When he played in front of the chemistry class, many people did not even know that he played and were taken aback. “It took me by surprise. I thought he was just a regular kid coming to take chemistry. It wasn’t until he came into our everyday environment, and without much impromptu, just started delivering this-- in my mind, perfection,” DellaGuardia said. Playing in front of people has not always been easy for Stewart. “I couldn’t even play for my mom in the living room at first,” Stewart said. “I try to focus in my own little world. You can’t ever win the game, but at least learning to conquer that fear is the goal. It takes years and years of practice.” Erickson found the small act was a good break, even if it was just for a moment. “It was calming--nice to listen to music, and get away from the stress of school,” Erickson said. Stewart is a unique musician, according to DellaGuardia. She believes his music shows intense emotion. “It’s more than just an extension of his hand and fingers-- it’s an extension of his soul,” she said. “The way the he plays with feeling is something you can only get if you’re inspired by something within.” For Steward, no one day is the same with the oboe. The music comes from his heart. “Everyday is a learning experience. It’s always an adventure, it’s always a challenge. I fall in love with it again, and again, and again,” Stewart said.