. >> reporter: sarah stafford and graham mulvaney are two of his former students. and what kind of an impact did he have on you and music? >> a tremendous impact. >> reporter: his players are his audience for a series of life lessons. >> you're not always going to get first chair. you're not always going to make all-state and that is okay. we work very, very hard, there are still going to be obstacles in music and in life, and you just have to keep going. >> reporter: and you still play? >> i am still playing, yeah. >> reporter: graham mulvaney, now 25, says riggs taught him to be a leader. >> he really showed me what music can be, to be more than just playing notes on a page but can be an entire experience of shapeing somebody's life and bringing joy to people and i have no idea what that was before mr. riggs. >> reporter: what is your teaching style? >> wow. it's about the music, but not mainly about the music. it's interest integrity, it's about character and enhancing their quality of life. the vehicle or the tool to do that is the music. >> reporter: they are

. >> reporter: graham mulvaney, 25. says riggs taught him to be a leader. >> he showed me what music can be. more than notes on a page. entire experience of shaping somebody's laf of ife of bringing joy to people. i had no idea what that was before. >> reporter: what is your teaching style? >> wow. it is about the music, but not main leap about the music. it is about integrity. character. enhancing their quality of life. the tool or the vehicle to do that its the s the music. >> reporter: they're dedicated to their instruments. bumt most of but most of riggs stew dnlts hoping to go to yale to major in chemistry. and greg mulvaney finishing medical school at north carolina, the specialty, neuro neurosurgery. >> i wanted to be a doctor that played a saxophone. sarah stafford nominated riggs for the grammy award. >> i think he is an inspirer. by that i mean he is not just an inspiration, but he, he taught us to be inspirations. >> reporter: she is now a middle school band director. >> as a mother, as a wife, as a teacher,

. >> reporter: graham mulvaney, 25. says riggs taught him to be a leader. >> he showed me what music can be. more than notes on a page. entire experience of shaping somebody's life of bringing joy to people. i had no idea what that was before. >> reporter: what is your teaching style? >> wow. it is about the music, but not main leap about the music. it is about integrity. character. enhancing their quality of life. the tool or the vehicle to do that is the music. to their instruments. but most of riggs stew dnlts have ambitions beyond music. hoping to go to yale to major in chemistry. and greg mulvaney finishing medical school at north carolina, the specialty, neurosurgery. >> i wanted to be a doctor that played a saxophone. sarah stafford nominated riggs for the grammy award. >> i thinknke is an inspirer. by that i mean he is not just an inspiration, but he, he taught us to be inspirations. >> reporter: she is now a middle >> as a mother, as a wife, as a teacher, as a friend, it's always, always, about something bigger

. >> reporter: graham mulvaney, now 25, says riggs taught him to be a leader. >> he really showed me what music can be, to be more than just playing notes on a page but can be an entire experience of shapeing somebody's life and bringing joy to people and i have no idea what that was before mr. riggs. >> reporter: what is your teaching style? >> wow. it's about the music, but not mainly about the music. about character and enhancing their quality of life. the vehicle or the tool to do that is the music. >> reporter: they are dedicated to their instruments, but most of riggs' students have career ambitions outside music. john waters hopes to go to yale to major in chemistry. graham mulvaney is finishing up medical school at the university of north carolina and his special is neurosurgery. >> i made the decision i wanted to be a doctor. versus a saxophone. who couldn't afford a doctor. >> reporter: sarah stafford nominated riggs for the grammy award. >> i don't think he is really a teacherer. i think he is an inspirer. by that, i mean he is not just an inspiration, but he taught us to

. >> reporter: sarah stafford and graham mulvaney are two of his former students. and what kind of an impact did he have on you and music? >> a tremendous impact. >> reporter: his players are his

. >> reporter: sarah stafford and graham mulvaney are two of his former students. and what kind of an impact did he have on you and music? >> a tremendous impact. >> reporter: his players are his audience for a series of life lessons. >> you're not always going to get first chair. you're not always going to make all-state and that is okay. and he taught us that even when