ASHTON – Tristan "Tree" Bushman hasn't yet graduated high school, but he's already playing as many shows in a year as many local musicians who are two or three times his age.

The Ashton-Franklin-Center High School senior played more than 30 shows in 2014, and he shows no signs of slowing down this year.

The music bug bit the 17-year-old singer-songwriter early.

"I started singing when I was 5. I would sing with my dad's band, The Louie's," Tristan said. "I would mess around when I was young, and then I started seriously playing guitar when I was 10."

His dad, Dave Bushman, is guitarist and vocalist of the local duo Burn ’n Bush. He has been playing music locally since before Tristan was born.

The music doesn't stop there. His brother, Tyler Bushman, 28, is guitarist and vocalist for Panic Stations, and guitarist for Drop Dead Dolly, both local bands.

Tristan found inspiration from both as he came into his own as a musician.

"It was always around the house," Tristan said. “I saw it, and it was something I wanted to do, too."

He learned at a young age that being a musician isn't always glamorous.

"In second grade, I played my first talent show with a Flying V electric guitar. I had learned to play 'Smoke on the Water,'" he recalled. "I forgot the second verse of the song, ran off stage, and cried.

"My dad said that's when he started thinking, 'Oh, no; this is going to be it; this is going to ruin it,'" Tristan said. "But, it just taught me to laugh it off and keep playing."

He recovered quickly, landing gigs at Petunia Festival in Dixon and Byron Fest. Tristan began supplementing cover songs with his own.

"In eighth grade I wrote a few bad songs," Tristan said. "Then, when I was 14, I wrote a song that I would actually play out."

Now, Tristan has about 10 songs that he's really proud of, seven of which will be featured on his upcoming EP, "Heartwood."

One of the EP's songs, "Girl, You've Done Me Wrong," was recorded with Brothers Walker, a duo that appeared on Usher's team on season 6 of NBC's "The Voice."

Tristan, who also auditioned that season, met them through the process in Los Angeles.

"I 'Liked' them on Facebook, and they had a contest through there a few months after I met them," Tristan said.

Contestants posted videos to their Facebook page, and judges voted on the Top 10 with the most "Likes."

"I won a single and an official music video," Tristan said. "It was a good launching point to get a song out there."

Playing solo has allowed Tristan an outlet to write his own songs and sculpt his own style, but playing with a band isn't something he is necessarily against.

"It's fun to play with a band," Tristan said. "We'll go to my uncle Tim's [Bushman] and jam, and just play different punk songs.

"I listen to a lot of different things, so it's fun to play that stuff. Sometimes with playing acoustic guitar, people will come up to me and say, 'What do you play besides country?'

"And it's like, man, I don't even play much country," he added with a laugh.

But, with college coming up, and Tristan still unsure where he wants to go, making a commitment to a band might not make the most sense.

Also, with baseball and other commitments, playing solo allows him to be able to practice whenever he can find the time.

Tristan has been accepted to Belmont University in Nashville, but is still contemplating going to a community college for a couple of years.

Whatever he decides, it's clear after chatting with Dave that he and his wife, Amy, are very proud of Tristan.

"The cool thing is, even my 10-year-old [Griffin] plays music," Dave said. "It's a bond we all have.

"Tree still will text me and say: 'Dashboard Confessional is playing; let's go to the show!'" Dave said. "It's awesome that we all have that connection and can spend time together playing music and going to shows."

Going to those shows has spawned some unique moments for Tristan. He has met Chris Carrabba, the frontman behind Dashboard Confessional and Twin Forks, and other singer-songwriters.

In 2012, Dave recorded a video at Tristan's freshman music concert of his then-14-year-old son playing a song by Nashville singer-songwriter Andy Davis, and he sent it to the artist.

"You always think when you send it to people that they'll never listen, they'll never write back," Dave said.

"But, then he messaged back," Tristan said. “We told him we were going to his show in Evanston at a place called SPACE."

They met Davis before the show, and he asked Tristan whether he knew the words to one of his songs, "Believable Doubt."

Later that night, Davis told the audience that there was a kid in the crowd who had covered one of his songs, adding that "he was amazing," and he invited Tristan on stage.

"I didn't know what to do with my hands," Tristan recalled with a laugh.

But the moment clearly meant a lot to him.

"For him to like it enough to want me to play it in front of all these people, it's pretty sweet," Tristan said.

Those experiences and concerts spent watching other singer-songwriters inspire Tristan.

"I want to make a living doing music, no matter what," Tristan said.

"Obviously, it'd be awesome to get huge like Ed Sheeran, selling out arenas. But there are singer-songwriters that play smaller venues, and get to make a living having people listen to your music and writing songs," Tristan said.

"I'll go wherever it takes me."

WHAT'S NEXT

Tristan will open for Gina Venier and Daphne Willis at 7 p.m. April 4 at Rosbrook Studio, 107 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon. Dixon artist Sydni Reubin will showcase her skills by painting live for the audience.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. They are available at Venier Jewelers, 117 W. First St.; Roxie's, 302 W. First St.; Ginkgo Tree Café, 216 W. First St.; and Books on First, 202 W. First St.

He will also play April 7 at "Music Forward presents Bringin' Down The House" at The House of Blues in Chicago.

The Emerging Artist Showcase will cap off his experience with Music Foward, which offers a chance for musicians, ages 13 to 19, to connect with music industry insiders through interactive workshops.

Tristan received free tickets to hand out and would like to give them to anyone in the Sauk Valley who is interested.

Find Tristan Bushman Music on Facebook or go to tristanbushmanmusic.com for more information.

'HEARTWOOD' RELEASE

Tristan will be celebrating the release of his seven-song debut EP, "Heartwood," on May 2 at Rosbrook Studio, 107 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon. Admission will be $5.

He even created the cover art at Whiteside Area Career Center in Sterling, where he is studying digital media arts.

The EP will be available on iTunes, Spotify, ReverbNation and Google Play.