NATCHEZ — It was rock ’n‘ roll that first attracted Stacy Arnold to the guitar when he was a teenager.

But it was classical guitar that would eventually lead to a career as a professor and professional musician for the Natchez native.

As a child, Arnold played any instrument on which he could get his hands.

“I had an infatuation for musical instruments at an early age,” Arnold said. “It was just something I naturally did. Nobody really pulled me to it or asked me if I wanted to do it. I just did it.”

Guitar was not initially Arnold’s main instrument. He was a trombone player in the junior high band at Morgantown and high school band at South Natchez.

In high school, Arnold was chosen for all-state band and received the Louis Armstrong Award his senior year.

While he was clearly proficient in playing the trombone, Arnold’s interest gravitated to the guitar.

“I was originally attracted to the guitar because of rock music,” he said. “But I was never really in a band like friends were, so rock got me into the guitar, but my interest in the guitar was much deeper.”

Arnold chose to focus on classical guitar and went on to get a bachelor’s degree in guitar performance from Middle Tennessee State University. He has a master’s degree in guitar performance from Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts.

Now living in Dallas, Arnold is a professor of classical guitar studies, has recorded his playing and performs concerts.

Arnold returns to his hometown this weekend with a concert at Grace United Methodist Church, where Arnold’s former junior high school band director, Dale Young, is choir director.

Young said Arnold has a special gift for music that was evident at a young age.

“Stacy has an innate talent,” Young said. “He was an extraordinarily talented young man, and Natchez is very fortunate to have him come back and play a concert.”

Arnold’s last concert in Natchez was two years ago, and Arnold said he is honored to play in his hometown again.

“Unlike being in a strange place or a strange city, the people in the audience know you in your hometown,” he said.

Arnold says he owes much of his success to his musical roots in Natchez.

“I certainly would not be who I am or do what I do, if not for my formative years in Natchez,” he said.

Arnold will share 500 years of music from the Renaissance to Latin and Spanish music of the 20th century at Sunday’s concert at Grace United Methodist Church.

The show is set for 3 p.m.