We’ve all heard the fairytale before. The one about the four year-old child who picks up a guitar (or whatever instrument) for the first time, and in some magical way, beautiful music flows out as if the two were made for each other.

Well, that wasn’t me.

I was the kid who tried to quit band for years to no avail against the seemingly-ruthless authority that I called, “Mom.” And years later, I’m glad she didn’t let me quit. Turns out, the reason I loathed practicing was because I didn’t understand the benefit of music or how it related to my life. Then, one day a few years later, as if a light bulb switched on, I stopped thinking of myself as a music student and started thinking of myself as a musician...