Throughout my entire childhood I have always had difficulties related to having ADHD. In elementary and middle school, I was not a very good student and spent way too much time in the principal’s office. I simply found no fascination in learning, however I was obsessed with The Beatles. I realized I loved music that most other kids in school did not appreciate. I tried sharing my music with my friends, they would laugh and walk away. I never would have imagined I would get the opportunity to play that very same music for hundreds. I studied the bass guitar in middle school but the bass and I never really clicked. Someone actually broke into the middle school and stole my amp and bass guitar. Honestly, I didn’t mind that they took it. The police eventually recovered it; I still have it and lend it to whoever needs a bass.

 

When I was 14 years old, with the help of the Internet, I discovered tablature. This led to countless hours of practice on the guitar and a lot of calluses. Unfortunately, I was using an old acoustic; it was a big and bulky instrument. It was not until September of 2011 during a trip to Santa Cruz that I saw what would be my first electric guitar. It was a white Fender Squier; I put down a deposit and made small payments until it was paid off.A couple of months later, not knowing any better my mother got me lessons with a rock guitarist. It was pretty obvious he was not interested in the 12 bar blues form and it wasn’t long before the instructor suggested I find a blues guitarist to train me.

 

Interestingly, the more I played the guitar the less I was affected by the ADHD. Actually, I have managed my ADHD through music ever since. As long as I play the guitar and exercise regularly, I do fine.I did some research and found Dmitry Koudymov, an instructor who was finishing his Ph.D. in guitar at USC. He agreed to teach me and eventually became my friend and mentor. He convinced me to apply to OCSA, an art school in Santa Ana, California. I was accepted but it was 30 miles away and classes ran from 8 AM to 6 PM. This meant leaving my house at 5 AM every morning and getting home after dark, it was a lot of work but it was worth it. During my year performing in the Orange County School of the Arts Gluck gigs, I played at many prestigious venues in Orange County. I also spent a semester teaching young kids how to play guitar. This would be my first exposure to music theory and also the first time I played with people my own age.

 

Because I became a member of two blues music associations in the area, I was playing at least three times a week at jazz and blues venues, pretty much any place that allowed minors.My weekends and evenings consisted of playing with much older seasoned musicians. Because I played so much, I created an extensive support system of musicians all over the Los Angeles area. I didn’t just learn how to play music; I learned the culture of the music community. Despite my young age I was treated as an equal. They basically watched me grow as a person and as a musician; these musicians became my second family. Surprisingly, I still relate better musically to that age group. I also had the privilege of playing at Jax Grill and The Hollywood Studio Bar, both renowned jazz and blues clubs. To facilitate networking with my fellow musicians I created a website where I provide links and contact information regarding my performances and gigs. A significant privilege of mine was being asked to perform George Gershwin’s “Summertime” for the 90th birthday of living jazz legend Linda Hopkins.

 

I applied to Berklee and was accepted, it has turned out to be a great experience and truly enlightening. In my second semester I decided to join their Music Therapy program.  Music therapy has turned out to be a great fit for me. It has given me a new outlook and has provided me with the tools to better serve the needs of others.  I feel something amazing when I play music; my aspiration is to make people feel the same way when they listen to it.