Kevin Phong

Prof. Suzanne Thomas

UWRT 1103-051
16 February, 2016
Reflection
I feel as though as this is not one of my best pieces of writing that Ive ever done. The
thoughts that I want to include are there, but they lack organization and seem to be scattered all
over the place. I had little to no linking transitions and my vocabulary isnt up par for what I
believe is the standard for this writing class. As narcissistic as it may sound, I am usually a very
strong writer when it comes to essays but this paper barely meets my expectations. Also, itd be
an understatement to say that I struggled with titling this paper as I did not assign one until I
was finished writing. With proper organization, I feel I have the ability to make this paper
incredible (in my humble opinion of course).
Playing the Keys to Life
Its mind-boggling, isnt it? How one form of entertainment can be so individualistic and
unique, yet at the same time be able to connect people from all corners of the earth through
sound to unite under one movement and meaning. No matter the genre, no matter the theme, no
matter the style, music has fulfilled its purpose throughout history by providing numerous people
with a sanctuary to escape to or just to enjoy the beauty in itself. I find myself caught somewhere
in the middle of the two, and then some.
June 15th, 2008. My older sister had just turned 14 (I was 10 at the time) and family,
friends, were celebrating her graduating from middle school. It was your typical party with a lot
of laughter, chatter, the smell of barbeque in the air on a warm summer night. However, my

senses were all peculiarly drawn to one of the most beautiful sights sitting in the corner in the
living room. Vintage, yet fresh. A warm dark brown in color, yet with a shining glow. A family
friend had given my sister one of his oldest, most prized acoustic guitars as a gift and it was just
wasting away in the corner, neglected. Could you believe it? I literally begged my sister at the
end of the day while she was playing to get a chance to try and finally I had gotten my chance. I
picked it up, although it was by all means much too large for my hands, and with this simple
motion something clicked.
Of all the decisions I have made in my life, picking up that guitar could quite possibly be
the best (Sorry Mom and Dad, college is great and all but I dont think anyone would like to hear
me recite a paper for a concert). After all, it is primarily one of the few things that has shaped me
to become the person I am today as well as the person I am to become. When I had first started
playing, I had an incredibly difficult time due the guitar being so large as well as my nonexistent
calluses. Calluses develop on the fingertips of musicians due to the constant pressing down of the
skin. Which in turn, causes the skin to blister, bleed, then harden. Sounds painful, doesnt it?
That is precisely what I had thought; but as time went on I had become hell-bent on becoming
the devilishly suave musician I aspired to become. I had considered taking lessons but during this
time, my parents worked day and night which brought up a considerable problem. However, this
inconvenience led to a virtue that is cherished by myself and many others today: patience.
Does not being able to read sheet music make you a bad musician? Id like to think not.
In fact, when I look back on things now, I am glad that I had chosen to teach myself through
countless hours of YouTube videos and learning to play songs by ear. It has not only taught me
persistence, but also ingenuity as my improvising and creativity in music has thoroughly
increased throughout the years. Had it not been for my inability to get to and from traditional

guitar lessons, I can whole-heartedly say that I would be neither the same musician nor person I
am today. This glimmering realization has caused me to be even more thankful for what music is
as a whole and what it has done for me in my life as well as my gratitude for other blessings in
my life as well, such as my parents.
My dad is a tough-love kind of guy that doesnt show emotions too often which is why I
never really got to have any in-depth conversations with him growing up; music changed that.
Believe it or not, my dad was a part of a band back in California where he played guitar as well.
When my family moved to Charlotte, he left that behind with him. Be that as it may, after
hearing my horrendous playing for hours on end, Id hear him quietly playing late at night when
nobody was awake. It was beautiful. Incidentally, one day I had come home from school and
there he was, surprisingly having bought a second guitar, waiting for me as he told me to sit
down and play with him. Although it sounds clich and corny, music brought my father and I
closer together which in turn allowed both of us to open up more to one another; and I am
beyond thankful for that.
Music has also become a large part in my ability to do well in school as well as work at
my job. It has come to me that the only viable way for me to fully concentrate is to have some
type of music in the background. As strange as that seems, Ive done considerably better on
assessments in which I was allowed to listen to music. At my job, Ive had my managers as well
as my coworkers note how fast I complete tasks when we close down the store. Whether or not
there is an actual correlation, or if it is just a false assumption that my mind makes, I feel much
more comfortable doing anything when music is involved.
Performing in front of a crowd is no small task by any means, but continuously doing so
has significantly improved my public speaking skills as well as decreasing my tendency to be

shy when meeting new people (and plus its a fun time when you get used to it). Performing
music can also be seen as a method of projecting a picture or idea to listeners as if it was a
movie, which inadvertently, has allowed me to further my ability to be more animated and
descriptive not only during presentations for classwork per se, but in general in terms of my
personality as well.
In conclusion, music is a pathway for not only myself, but for the entirety of the world to
a positive environment in which they can feel free from whatever shackles that may be pinning
them down. A sanctuary in which individuals are allowed to freely express themselves and relay
that emotion to others is such a beautiful concept. I am fully prepared to share this idea with
others though the music that I play myself, and perhaps inspire others to one day have something
similar to the experience in which I had picked up that guitar for the first time. As deep as that
sounds, I figure Id conclude this narrative on a high note: Life is nothing but a blank paper and
you are its ink. Embrace who you are as an individual and compose the song that will make the
crowds go wild.