Contemporary Music Center helped me find my passion.

I was first introduced to Contemporary Music Center about six years ago, when I was nine years old. My parents had enrolled me in guitar lessons there, since they had bought me an acoustic guitar as my Christmas gift. I remember being very excited and ecstatic about learning a new instrument, yet somewhat timid about the experience that were to come. However if I had never taken that first step, I would never be where I am today.

At first, I rarely spoke to my guitar teacher or anyone else there, just out of shyness. I was always greeted warmly by the employees , but for some reason, I still felt nervous. Eventually, due to a lack of confidence and a mind full of doubt, I took a break from guitar lessons for a year or two. It wasn’t until about 2014 when I started to reach out a little more and become more passionate about music.
My parents re-enrolled me in guitar lessons with the same teacher upon my request, and when I returned, I became determined to constantly improve my guitar skills. As I improved, my parents and I made a deal – they would buy me an electric guitar only if I participated in Rock Camp the next summer, so I did.

The first day of Rock Camp was completely different than from what I pictured it to be. I’m gonna hate it, I kept thinking to myself beforehand. I didn’t want to interact with complete strangers, let alone play music with them. Yet, on the first day of rock camp, my mind changed entirely, and I realized that making music with other people was one of my favorite things to do. I met some of the most amazing people I know today, and learned truly valuable lessons from my instructors and peers. Rock Camp definitely contributed to the person I am today.

Now, I play music all the time at Open Mic Nights, both solo and with my friends. I am currently partaking in my fourth season of Rock Camp, and plan to continue with more later on. I went from being a shy kid who wanted nothing to do with things I didn’t know, to being a confident musician, outgoing and eager to meet new people and discover new things. Contemporary Music Center helped me find my passion and inspired me to never stop pursuing it.