At age 14, Scott Mulvahill ('10) started playing bass guitar. A year later, he discovered the upright bass

"The upright had this mysterious pull to it," he says. "It's such a large instrument, and with no frets it's very difficult, so I think I was attracted to the challenge of it. Once I tried it, I fell in love with it."

Mulvahill has appeared on NPR's Tiny Desk concert series and played with Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss and Bruce Hornsby. Last year, he released the CD Himalayas.

"I don't think I could make my music on the bass without a strong foundation on the instrument and a good ear for harmony," he says. "UNT definitely helped me develop that."