You do not choose Music, Music chooses You

My journey with music began even before I picked up an instrument. It started with my family. My mother's side was heavily musical, with my grandmother being involved in so many musical pursuits, including singing and conducting. As for my mom, she would expose us kids to the classics in Broadway, with the likes of Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Oliver Twist, Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the like. So it was safe to say that my decision to even pursue music in the long run is rooted in the love my family shares for it.

In saying that, I would love those moments when my mother would be teaching one of her students piano (yes, she was a piano teacher, and still is going strong) and I'd hear a piece that would inspire me. Later on I would try and learn those pieces and my mother would help me out. She taught me the basics of piano, which I took forward in my later years.

At first, I'd just play piano pieces off a score (I'm kidding, I'd play them by-heart) at the usual family get-togethers, with no real understanding of what I was really doing; all I knew was that it felt great! But later I started to learn another side of music that really impacted my creativity.

I joined the worship team in church and saw a sheet of paper with letters on it - the chord chart. But as time went by, through having the bare minimum, I learnt the nuances of improvisation over changes and playing in a band. Lydia was a big help on that front and from there.

Later on, I learnt guitar under Lydia's guidance for 3 months which opened me up to new possibilities that I would never have been able to accomplish had I just stuck to keys.

Today, I have a small home studio set up where I produce my own music, I'm part of a band that I absolutely love working with and continue to work with the church as well as other friends and family on various projects.

So the question remains... Why did I choose music?

Well, because it's the best means I have as a musician to express myself. And going through these different phases in my musical journey has shown me that, music was never really about the chords, it was always something more.

To this day, I'm constantly learning about the wonders of music and how through it, I can make an impact on people's lives. Of course I haven't figured it all out yet, and that's the beauty of it. It is a journey I will continue to embark on for the rest of my given days.