It is impossible to put in words how important this one individual has been to Collision over the years.  He came to 7dB in June, 2006, as lead guitarist, a high school student with fast fingers and good instincts who knew a few licks and wanted to play in a Christian band.  Before that, Mark knew him only as one of the peers of his own sons who had been to his house once with a large crowd; he was introduced as Baxter, but his sisters called him Kyle.  It is not clear who invited him to those first rehearsals, but he stayed with the band through the end of 2013, still as lead guitarist, before leaving for the navy and dreams of becoming a nuclear engineer.

  To say he was the lead guitarist is to minimize his contribution.  When Tyler Chroniger decided to leave the band, taking his sister Jessica and their drummer Travis Burlingame, Kyle and Mark became the core of what remained.  (Adam was sometimes present, but not truly dedicated to the band, which his girlfriend disapproved.)  Together they chose the name "Collision" under which the band would go forward.  Together they decided to press forward through those early years when it was frequently just the two of them, playing the Tal & Acacia concert as a duo, looking for other members.  It was at times Kyle's support that kept Mark going.

  It was Kyle who brought rhythm guitarist and vocalist Brittany Boscola into the band, which again kept it alive for another year.  Kyle was also influential in persuading her replacement Sara DeWitt to consider becoming involved.  He introduced Mark to Jonathan Maness, who would soon thereafter become keyboards and vocals, although Mark initiated the notion that Jonathan could be part of the band.  He was not always successful in finding people--drummer Kevin Rabago was interested, but Kyle lost touch with him and so that never came to fruition; and we never found a bass guitar player until Mark took over the instrument.  Yet if it were not for Kyle, there would be no Collision at all, no history beyond Tyler's departure from 7dB.

Although he is leaving the band for the navy, he says he will always be part of Collision.  His last year has been a rocky one, as life has crowded out much he might have done with us, but he will be remembered fondly.