Teen quits school to be Guitar Hero

An American teenager has quit school to take up a job as a professional video game guitarist. Blake Peebles, 16, from North Carolina, is such a devotee of the hugely popular game Guitar Hero that he convinced his parents to let him drop out of school to focus on playing wireless guitars in front of a computer. Peebles has had a degree of success already as a virtual guitarist; prizes he has won to date include gift certificates, gaming equipment and chicken sandwiches. The 16-year-old dropped out of North Raleigh Christian Academy in the hope that he could earn up to $80,000 (about £43,000) a year. However, he will need to secure sponsorship and be placed first in competitions if he is to meet this target. Guitar Hero was first released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2. Since then, several new versions of the multi-billion dollar game have been released and endorsed by rock legends such as Aerosmith. Players don't need any knowledge of how to play a guitar in order to play the video game. Flashing lights tell you where to hit the frets on your guitar which correspond with notes displayed on the screen. In the US Guitar Hero nights, where players 'rock off' against each, have become popular at bars and clubs. One commenter on the NME website wrote that games like Guitar Hero are focusing young peoples' attentions away from learning to play real musical instruments. "It's a concern that kids will become so obsessed with these games that the concept of playing a real guitar will be far too much effort for them and that will lead to less bands starting up," the poster wrote. www.guitarhero.com/uk www.nme.com