I must say, it takes a lot to impress me these days. So, when I read this article in The Christian Science Monitor about Mike McCann, an eighth grader from Massachusetts, I was actually floored.

Mike is a 14-year-old bugle boy who plays taps at military burials—when he isn’t doing his homework.

And the kid already has one heck of a reputation around town, too.

“Mike is very poised and well-disciplined. An awesome kid. He does a great job,” says Chief Petty Officer Christopher Lazenberry, who has attended a half-dozen services at which Mike has performed. Mike is consistent and dependable–no small feat, according to Lazenberry, considering the environment in which taps is usually played. “It’s an honor, but it can be emotionally draining, especially at first.”

Of course, Mike has tapped into a pretty sweet market. Apparently, there is still a shortage of buglers in this country, despite efforts to ramp up their numbers. There’s even a Buglers Across America–uh-huh, the BAA.

On a side note: Just five years ago, the shortage of buglers was so bad that the “Defense Department developed an electronic bugle fitted with a prerecorded version of taps.” That’s handy trivia for ya!

When Mike isn’t working, he goes to school, loves playing jazz, and even gardens! You know, this TEENAGER rocks… why can’t other teens be like Mike?

You can read the entire story here. It’s an amazing piece.