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Every afternoon, Caden Werlich props up his phone, picks up his guitar and presses record.

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Some days the chords are cleaner than others. Sometimes he misses a note. Occasionally he’ll finish a song knowing it wasn’t perfect.

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Then he posts it anyway.

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For the Boise State graduate, the daily videos aren’t about chasing followers or becoming the next viral musician. They’re about showing up, staying consistent and becoming a little more comfortable doing something he loves.

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After all, that’s how his journey with music began.

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Although there’s a photo of Caden holding a guitar as a three-year-old, he didn’t seriously begin learning until he was in high school, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many beginners, he quickly discovered learning an instrument wasn’t nearly as easy as it looked.

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“I got really frustrated,” he said. “I absolutely hated it.”

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For nearly a year, the guitar sat mostly untouched.

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Eventually, he picked it back up, one chord at a time. What started as curiosity slowly turned into a genuine love for making music.

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“I’ve always loved singing,” Caden said. “I wanted it to be my own kind of tune.”

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His playlist reflects someone who enjoys discovering music without worrying much about genres. He grew up listening to hip-hop and underground rap, but later fell in love with bands like The Beatles. His dad also introduced him to Southern California reggae, a style that’s remained one of his favorites ever since.

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Today, Caden has built a catalog of roughly 70 songs he feels comfortable playing. His current challenge is simple: post one song every day for 30 days.

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What seemed like a fun idea has become an exercise in discipline.

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“I’ve realized I don’t have enough time to learn a brand-new song every day,” he laughed. “But it keeps me accountable.”

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It has also reminded him to slow down.

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“Time has flown by over the last five years,” he said. “Doing this has kept me in the moment.”

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Away from music, Caden spends his days helping children.

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After graduating from Boise State in December, he became a Registered Behavior Technician, working primarily with children with autism. Some of the kids he works with need only a little extra guidance. Others may require lifelong support.

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Regardless of where they fall on that spectrum, Caden loves watching them grow.

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“I’ll be completely exhausted by the end of the day,” he said. “But once it’s over, I’m proud and happy.”

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What began as a job to gain experience in psychology has become something much more meaningful.

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“I think this is probably going to be a long-term thing,” he said. “I love it.”

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Like many people in their early twenties, Caden is still figuring out exactly what the future holds.

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He hopes to continue moving forward in his career, eventually becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and leading his own team. He would also love to write and release original music someday. He has already written his first song, though he admits it’s still a work in progress.

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If someone offered him the chance to pursue music full-time tomorrow, he isn’t sure what he’d say.

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“I think I’d say yes,” he said after a long pause. “But I don’t necessarily want to be famous.”

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What he does want is a meaningful life.

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He hopes to build a family, remain financially stable, explore more of the country and continue growing into the person he wants to become.

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During our conversation, Caden reflected on one lesson that has become increasingly important to him.

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“Try not to do too many things for yourself,” he said. “Try to do things for others, and those things for yourself will come.”

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Later, when I asked what the phrase “Everyone Has a Story” meant to him, his answer echoed that same perspective.

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He talked about how easy it is to believe we already know someone simply because we grew up with them. But everyone is carrying experiences, struggles, dreams and victories that most people never see.

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In many ways, Caden is living that idea himself.

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To most people scrolling through Instagram, he’s simply another guy playing guitar.

But behind every song is someone learning to be a little more courageous, a little more disciplined and a little more present than he was the day before.

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Sometimes growth doesn’t happen all at once.

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Sometimes it happens one song at a time.

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Thanks for the story, my friend. Keep kicking ass, bro.