Discovering and Exploring Music

Music lessons comprise classical and light classics that I had to learn and play all the time besides the usual rudiments of theory that I also had to study. My exploration of pop and other genres of music were at home on my own.

My dad was the driving force behind this as he was frequently bringing home music sheets from a popular music retail shop near his work place downtown. He was most gracious to bring me all sorts of music and never did he insist that I must like the music he brought home. All he would say is to try out the piece and decide if I like it. It was an encouraging way of bringing more music into my life and for that, I am most appreciative of my dad.

I never knew my dad moonlights as a musician and performed with the Roy Hits combo band until he showed me a photo of him as a guitarist with the band. What brought that about was when I wanted an acoustic guitar to expand on my musical experiences. Mom went with me to a music shop to buy the guitar and I was in the midst of setting up the guitar when dad arrived home from work to see me struggling with the tuning. He asked for the guitar, tuned it up and strummed some chords much to my total surprise. So, when I asked how he was able to do that when I have never seen him play any musical instrument, the story of his musical past came out.

Mom was a secondary school teacher who taught me some singing and dancing. Singing made me aware of pitch while the dance steps helped me with rhythm and musical pulse. My grandma, on the other hand, would occasionally play the accordion when she is in the mood while my brother and I listened attentively. I would attribute all these musical experiences at home that developed my interest in music.