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When Kenny Seay was a teenager, he used to strum songs on his guitar at the Buchanan Theatre. More than two decades after he learned to play rock music there, Seay will perform at the theater on Saturday.

Seay, 35, used to perfect his guitar technique with a projectionist at the Buchanan Theatre on Friday evenings while movies were playing. While Seay was learning to play songs by the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, his love of playing guitar swelled.

"It took off from there," he said.

At Saturday's performance, Seay and fellow Buchanan musicians David Austin and Mike Lee will play together, mixing sounds and drawing from a variety of musical styles, including folk, bluegrass and rock. Each will perform solos, and Seay said he even plans to do some tricks, such as playing his guitar upside down, backwards and behind his back.

A Buchanan native, Seay grew up listening to dance, disco and an array of other types of music. At 12, Seay inherited his older brother's music collection, which included artists he'd never been exposed to, such as AC/DC and Def Leppard. Hearing new sounds ignited Seay's interest in music.

"I was just totally hooked," he said. "It really got me going."

Seay began to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star. In addition to his sessions at the Buchanan Theatre, he played tunes by ear on the guitar and taught himself about music theory.

"If I wasn't in school, I was practicing guitar," he said.

At one point in high school, Seay started taking lessons at a music store in Buchanan that has since closed. He recalled being surprised when the teacher gave him his money back after the first lesson, telling Seay that he already knew more than could be taught and that the two should simply play together.

After graduating from James River High School, Seay took some courses at Virginia Western Community College and then decided to audition for Berklee College of Music in Boston. Though Seay remembers feeling somewhat unprepared, he successfully auditioned and transferred to the college shortly after.

Because he'd taught a few students before he left for Berklee, Seay began studying music education. Though he later focused on performing instead of teaching, Seay once worked in a Boston school where he related songs by M.C. Hammer to concepts in classical music.

After college, Seay moved to Myrtle Beach, S.C., where he worked at the Hard Rock Cafe.

"I got to meet a lot of really cool people that way," he said.

Seay brushed shoulders with Coolio and Cheap Trick and also saw Will Smith and Bruce Willis while living in South Carolina. Seay and his wife, Nicole, moved back to Buchanan in the early 1990s. He left behind his waist-length hair, cutting it before the move.

Now, 40 students come to a small studio in Seay's house each week for guitar lessons. Seay also occasionally teaches banjo, mandolin, piano and bass. He estimates that he's taught more than 200 people since 1997.

"He really is excellent," said Bill Campbell, who has taken guitar lessons from Seay for two years.

Campbell, of Fincastle, described Seay as energetic and knowledgeable and said Seay keeps students engaged and relates well to people of all ages. Campbell's 15-year-old son, Austin, also takes guitar lessons from Seay.

Campbell, who enjoys classic rock music, said Seay teaches him new skills and techniques using the music he likes.

"People want to leave playing music," Seay said, explaining that he tries to cater to people's musical interests while teaching them basic chords and music theory. Eventually, he'd like to open a studio outside of his home.

When he isn't busy teaching, Seay travels with a band called Burning Bridges, a five-member ensemble he's been playing with for two and a half years. The group plays in the Roanoke Valley and in places such as Charlotte, N.C., and Harrisonburg.

Burning Bridges plays some of their original songs but most often pays attention to crowd requests.

"Every place is different," said Seay, adding that the band's repertoire ranges from classic rock to rap.

Because Burning Bridges plays just two or three shows a week, Seay said he's able to enjoy the thrill of playing at different venues while still having time off to spend with his wife and two children, Sierra, 5, and Adam, 1.

Dreams of achieving superstardom hardly cross Seay's mind anymore. He likes family life, and he likes not being on the road all the time. That way, he still gets to play music, but he also gets to sleep in his own bed most of the time.

When he's in his car on the way to a show, Seay listens to satellite radio, tuning into stations that play everything from 1970s funk music to blues or rock or gospel.

"I listen to a little bit of everything," he said. "I get a little bored otherwise."

Seay has a collection of more than 2,000 cassette tapes packed away in boxes; several more shelves filled with countless tapes line the walls of his studio, which also contains scores of compact discs.

The music aficionado doesn't feel limited living in a small town and has no problem scheduling shows - Burning Bridges is booked through next year.

Though he's based in Buchanan, Seay and his bands have received international attention. His previous band, 790 Robothead, was featured in a Japanese magazine and briefly on the Sci Fi Channel. Seay still gets e-mails from people all over the world.

Sometimes, when Seay gets home from a show in the middle of the night, he turns on the television and catches a glimpse of the band. Seeing himself in a moment of fame is still exciting for Seay, as is seeing what his students do with what they've learned from him.

"It's cool to know you left something somewhere," he said.

Buchanan musicians Kenny Seay, David Austin and Mike Lee will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Buchanan Theatre. Cost is $5. To see and hear more about Burning Bridges, visit www.burningbridgesband.com.