Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being on stage, hearing the crowd yell my name, and making my audience go wild just by striking a chord.

When I finally picked up the guitar, my life took on a whole new meaning.

I would spend hours banging away at my acoustic guitar and would attempt to learn every AC/DC song in their discography. While listening to AC/DC, I would daydream and pretend it was me playing the electrifying licks and solos that came from Angus Young's guitar. Why did I do this? Why did I pick up the guitar and dedicate hours of my life to music?

When I pick up the guitar, I always feel at home. I feel as though I am back in my house, sitting on my bed strumming and picking away. It brings a calmness and confidence that I usually never feel. And when I begin to pick and slide my fingers up and down the frets, I lose myself in the music, not responding to anyone or listening to anything that is going on. I know that each note I play is right, and this order among chaos is what attracts me to music. I play, and it feels right. Everything feels right when I play guitar, even the mistakes.

When I started to play the blues, I realized how emotional guitar playing truly is. It's easy to not play the wrong notes, but it's hard playing the right notes. When I play blues, it just feels right. Blues takes my tragedies and allows me to convey them through the guitar, as if it's a conduit that channels my emotion through the wire and out the speaker. My raw emotions come out and my true self is shown.

People live wearing masks, faking emotions or lying about how they truly feel. A musician doesn't wear a mask. Their music shows people who they truly are, no masks or anything. When a musician plays with true emotion, that's when the connection between the audience and musician is made. There is this energy that is circulated between the audience and the performer. I play guitar to make that connection with the audience and give them a good time. I strive to make them laugh, make them cry, and make them tap their feet or nod their head. There is love when I play guitar, love for the audience and love for the music.

Guitar pulls my true self out and presents it for everyone to see. This is why I am in love with the guitar, it's something I can confidently play and channel my emotions through. When I'm onstage playing with true emotion, it's as if I'm back on my bed with my acoustic guitar, strumming away into the night.