INDEPENDENCE -- The short timeline of Travis McBride's life already is dotted with musical milestones.

The 17-year-old Independence High School junior started honing his musical talent at the age of 6 months, when his father plunked him down behind a drum kit and handed him some sticks. At 6 years old he started teaching himself to play the piano, and in sixth grade he decided to tackle the guitar.

"I do a little bit of everything," says Travis, adding he mostly plays instruments by ear.

The talent for playing myriad instruments has come in handy during the school's second battle of the bands, taking place Saturday. In addition to organizing the event, Travis will play in three of the four competing bands.

The groups have been practicing in the McBride basement for the past few weeks.

Where some schools excel in sports, Independence is a musically gifted school, says Todd Stabenow, a business education teacher who is helping students plan the event.

"My perception is that this is a phenomenal band program. They push it to the limit. They win so many first-place awards," he says, adding that the high school has three jazz bands.

"They eat, live and breathe music, and they have a band instructor who devotes all his time in and out of school to the band. … There are phenomenal musicians at this school. Travis is one of a dozen."

What makes Travis unique, says Stabenow, is that he possesses not only musical talent but business sense.

"He understands you have to have the business component to promote music. He's doing (the battle of the bands) as his first real attempt to promote," says Stabenow. "He understands he may not be good enough to make it, but he wants to stay in the music industry."

Travis developed a reputation at a young age while touring with his father's band, Rio Grande. The group performed at concerts with national acts including the Dixie Chicks and Sawyer Brown. After Rio Grande disbanded in 1999, Travis and his brother Cory, who had also toured with the group, found themselves bored. They formed their own band, the Rock Hounds, which eventually became a country group called Stampede.

For the past five years, Travis has served as drummer and vocalist for the group. Since then, Travis has had some more brushes with fame. Stampede has opened for Andy Griggs, Dierks Bentley and Josh Gracin.

"Dierks' show was a big turning point for us. We ended up going from 50 people in the crowd to anywhere from 200 to 250," he says. "We're getting more shows and enjoying more success. It seems to be improving year by year."

Though Stampede won't be taking part in the battle, the group will play at Coconuts tonight at 10 p.m.

At Josh Gracin's show, the future opened wide for Travis when a member of the band approached him after Stampede played.

"He said, 'Have you got a piece of paper and a pen? … He wrote his name and phone number down and said, 'When you're ready to come to Nashville, (Tenn.) give me a call,'" says Travis.

Time will tell if Travis takes the musician up on his offer. First, he has to finish high school.

"Now I've got something to shoot for," he says, adding that he doesn't yet have college plans finalized but is looking at the University of Northern Iowa. His experience with lighting production has him considering a technological field. But he hasn't ruled out the bright lights of Nashville, Tenn.

"My parents have been supportive if I wanted to go do it. I need to take advantage of it when I can, and there's no better time than when I'm young," he says.

Contact Kelsey Holm at (319) 291-1464 or kelsey.holm@wcfcourier.com.

GO & DO

What: Battle of the Bands

Where: Independence High School Gym, Independence

When: Saturday; 6 to 7 p.m. open dance, 7 to 10 p.m. live music

Tickets: $2 in advance, $3 at the door

Proceeds: After prizes are awarded, all proceeds benefit Dollars for Scholars

Contact: Travis McBride at (319) 334-4449 or travis9er_zero@hotmail.com or Todd Stabenow at 291-9092