▁up ▁singing ▁g ospel ▁music , ▁alongside ▁his ▁grand father , ▁at ▁his ▁local ▁Mount ▁Pil gr im ▁Bapt ist ▁Church . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 4 , ▁Will is ▁watched ▁an ▁online ▁video ▁of ▁M ud dy ▁W aters ▁performing ▁" H o och ie ▁Co och ie ▁Man " ▁and ▁was ▁drawn ▁towards ▁bl ues ▁music . ▁He ▁learned ▁to ▁play ▁many ▁styles ▁of ▁country ▁bl ues ▁including ▁D elta , ▁P ied mont , ▁and ▁Texas , ▁eventually ▁becoming ▁ade pt ▁on ▁the ▁guitar ▁as ▁a ▁finger picker , ▁flat picker ▁and ▁slide ▁player . ▁He ▁developed ▁further ▁in ▁his ▁te ens ▁towards ▁an ▁aut od id actic ▁multi - inst rument al ist . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁guitar , ▁Will is ▁taught ▁himself ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁harm onica ▁and ▁five ▁string ▁ban jo . ▁He ▁studied ▁at ▁Columb us ▁State ▁University , ▁major ing ▁in ▁soci ology ▁and ▁anth rop ology . ▁ ▁His ▁playing ▁progress ed ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁big ▁opportunity ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁when ▁T aj ▁Mah al ▁invited ▁Will is ▁onto ▁the ▁stage ▁to ▁perform . ▁T aj ▁Mah al ▁stated ▁afterwards , ▁" That ' s ▁my ▁Wonder boy , ▁the ▁W under kind ". ▁The ▁expos ure ▁led ▁to ▁appearances ▁at ▁music ▁festiv als ▁and ▁Will is ▁self ▁released ▁his ▁debut ▁album , ▁Blue ▁Met am orph osis , ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁Blue ▁Met am orph osis ▁got ▁favor able