Crazy-haired Cabano seeks career in music

By Ian C. Beck ’12
THE ROUNDUP

Junior Kevin Cabano ’12 is a hard person to miss in a crowd.

His curly hair fashioned into a large mop on top of his head has made him quite recognizable.

But there is much more to Cabano than his crazy hairdo.

Starting in the fourth-grade when Cabano attended after-school keyboard practice at his middle school, he has been playing instruments. In the fifth-grade, he took formal piano lessons and began to play guitar in sixth-grade.

Cabano calls the guitar his instrument of choice but he can also play the piano, drums, bass and all guitar-like instruments such as the banjo or ukulele.

When asked about his musical inspirations, Cabano was quick to answer.

“Eddie Van Halen, I think is the best. He’s my favorite guitar player … his style is something I take after,” he said.

Van Halen is not the only musician to inspire Cabano.

“Angus Young from AC/DC shows up in my playing style a lot,” Cabano said.

In addition to Van Halen and Young, he named musicians such as John Lennon, Elton John and Kurt Cobain as additional idols.

When asked to describe himself as an artist, Cabano used words like energetic, dedicated, soulful and passionate. He also called himself a little bit weird, with a chuckle.

Currently Cabano is part of his own band called The End of the Line with Brophy junior Robbie Sirven ’12 as well as former Brophy student Matt Roda.

Sirven has been playing with Cabano since the seventh-grade and called being in a band with Cabano a “privilege.”

“(Cabano) is one of those people where you are very aware that he knows exactly what he is doing and that he already has a plan or a vision in his mind already set out for himself,” Sirven said. “That is what really makes him unique.

I know a lot of great musicians that are still not sure of themselves and have no idea what they are doing. But not Kevin, Kevin knows exactly what he is doing.

He is not only a great musician, but a great friend, and that makes it an honor to play with him.”

The End of the Line plays shows around Brophy and is working on branching out and playing shows around the Valley.

Currently the band is recording a demo that they hope readers will buy and listen to.

After Brophy, Cabano said he hopes to pursue a career in music though he realizes the odds are slim for his band making it big.

Therefore, he has his eyes set on possibly producing, working at a record label or anything else involved in music.