Growing up, music has always been a big part of my family. My oldest brother played the cello for more than 8 years, my other older brother played violin and viola for multiple years, and my younger brother also played the cello. We were always very involved in music programs and events until eventually they became too busy. I don’t blame them of course, we are all very different people. The reason we were so involved in music was because of my dad, who has been playing guitar since he was 17, leads worship at our church, and sings the national anthem at Hops games and other events. We were all very exposed to that sort of thing from a very early age.
I personally played viola for 3 years but eventually quit like my brothers did because I became busy as well. My love for music didn’t stop, however; I was always listening to music and singing. I have always loved to sing, and I always dreamed of doing something music-related. We had many guitars in my house, all my dad’s of course. I remember hearing him play the song “Flume” by Bon Iver, which was one of my favorite songs. This inspired me to learn how to play that song, and once I did, I only wanted to learn more. Before I knew it, I was moving on to more advanced songs. My love for listening to music only encouraged me to learn more and more songs. My music taste I mostly learned from listening to my dad’s favorite artists and bands, like the Foo Fighters and Sting. I played mostly acoustic guitar until recently when we finally got a working amp so I could play electric.
Sometimes I would go weeks without picking up a guitar, and other times I couldn’t put it down. Like sports, music can be exhausting as well. There are always thoughts of not being good enough or not improving fast enough. I started playing when I was 12 while my dad started playing when he was 17, and I know that he has had years and years of experience, but I can’t help but sometimes compare myself to him. He is my greatest inspiration but sometimes he can also be my greatest competition. This pattern of thinking has led me to burn out and not pick up my guitar because I am upset at how little progression I can see.
No matter how upset I get at myself or my dad, my dad always shows how proud of me he is and I can see how happy it makes him that one of us is picking up after him, which makes me realize why I’m even playing in the first place. Music, especially guitar, will always be very important to me. It is one of the things in my life that really brings me joy. It’s also something that I find brings meaning and a purpose to my life when I am stuck. As I learn that I am only in competition with myself, l am also learning patience as I progress.
