 In 2000 Melton, a high school English teacher, approached Buetow, his student, after he performed in a school music concert.Together the duo recruited other students to meet at lunch in Melton’s classroom to experiment with acoustic and folk instruments, which eventually led to performances at seasonal school events.The group took on the name "Wood, Wind, & Wire," reflecting its primary instrumentation, but ultimately dwindled in size as students graduated, a catalyst for Melton and Buetow to find musicians outside the school.