With a narrow third place finish in US Air Guitar’s Chicago Semifinal competition, southern Ohio resident and veteran competitive air guitarist, J.D. Frankland, earned his first trip to US Air Guitar’s National Finals. The 2016 competition will be held in Austin, Texas at the Empire Control Room on August 6, 2016.

The 51-year-old Frankland is a 1982 graduate of Tecumseh High School and currently lives in Jackson, Ohio. He began his air guitar career in 2005 when his co-worker challenged him to enter a competition. Frankland has competed in six US Air Guitar competition seasons since then.

Frankland takes a different approach to playing air guitar from the technique many are familiar with.

Instead of frenziedly cavorting around the stage, Frankland, an amputee, says he performs seated, “I believe (playing seated) helps me narrow down the stage and focuses the audience and judges on the technicality I display.”

Frankland’s stage persona and choice of music might come as a surprise as well.

Frankland performs as “Andres SegoviAIR,” a nod to legendary Spanish classical guitar master, the late Andrés Segovia. Frankland says he appreciates Segovia’s technical mastery of the guitar and that performing as Andres SegoviAIR reflects Frankland’s move towards using acoustic Nuevo-flamenco as his music of choice, instead of the Rock-and-Roll music air guitar performance is more popularly associated with.

Franklin was crowned Champion of Nashville, Tennessee’s May qualifier before traveling to Chicago in June to join a field of 15 competitors each vying for one of the three slots that would send them on to the U.S. Air Guitar’s National Finals. The winner will officially represent the U.S. at the annual Air Guitar World Championships held in Oulu, Finland at the end of August.

Frankland says he’s not sure of his chances for a national title, but is happy with his performances so far this year, “I’ve met or exceeded my personal expectations for the year - winning in Nashville, finishing third in Chicago, both of which are firsts for me... (but) anything can happen once the music starts!”

US Air Guitar is the official air guitar association of the United States and is responsible for operating the US Air Guitar Championships, official Regional events and specialized championships such as the Online Competition.

According to the US Air Guitar website, the organization is, “Taking our nation’s unofficial pastime out of the bedroom and putting it up on the world stage...In a time when US political, economic, military and athletic dominance faces unprecedented challenges around the world, it is our belief that air guitar represents one endeavor our country can dominate without controversy. US Air Guitar is here to make this possible.”

Founded in 2003, the US Air Guitar Championships have grown into a major national event that reaches more cities, fans, and competitors every year.