Kevin Phong

Prof. Suzanne Thomas

UWRT 1103-051
13 February, 2016
Reflection
I dont believe this paper is perfect, but I am proud of how it has progressed in terms of
the detail included within the different experiences. I feel though as if my transitions could still
use some work but overall the piece as a whole I feel pretty comfortable with. I do, however, find
difficulty in trying to balance giving too much detail or too little. My conclusion could use some
work, but as Prof. Thomas stated, this isnt a typical essay in which the paper needs a clear
wrap-up. I am happy, though, that I have stated all of the points that I wanted to include. This
isnt among the best papers Ive written, but I believe the final product will be.
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. I take a small form of pride
when seeing the surprise on others faces when I state that I have not taken classes for either the
guitar or piano. It has not only taught me persistence, but also ingenuity as my improvising and
creativity in music has thoroughly increased throughout the years. Not only that, but I had since

then played in my schools orchestra for eight years as the best player in my section. Due to this,
I had learned how to read some form of music but only while playing the cello. This skill had not
transitioned into reading music while playing the guitar or the piano due to the distinct
differences between the three. However, 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.
My dad had formed a band in San Francisco with some of my uncles in their 20s. My dad had
known my moms side of the family for quite some time actually before they had gotten married.
In fact, my dad and my mom had known each other since childhood. My family is Chinese but
during their childhood they lived in Vietnam. My grandfather, on my moms side, actually
worked as an agent for the US government so he had gotten my family free and safe passage
over to the States during the war. My dad had followed soon after, having been chasing after my
moms affection.Playing in that band with her brothers in that band played a large part in them
finally getting together so I was confused as to why he left it all behind when they decided to
move to Charlotte. 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. I was curious as to why he had left

music behind when we moved so I had asked. He replied, It was a new start to our lives and I
wanted to focus on raising you and your sister. I didnt think I had time for any of it, but Im glad
that you decided to have an interest with music because youve brought me back to what Ive
missed the most over these years. Slowly but surely, playing guitar with my dad become a
regular occurrence which led to us talking more. Since then, I am able to talk to my dad about
anything as he knows everything about me (including the things that normally parents would not
like to hear). 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.