Well, I've been playing and studying music since the 5th grade when I started on the Clarinet. I watched a movie in my music class that introduced to me the idea that there was a world within music of freedom and creativity. That movie that opened my mind to pandora's box of music was "Amadeus" which I encourage each of my students to watch (I loan copies). However, I soon found that I was not able to express myself with the woodwind instrument like I had wanted to and so I moved to the next instrument available through my middle school at that time, the viola. This was my first experience with stringed instruments and although it involved the bow, which I found more of a chore than enjoyable, I immediately loved the way the strings would create amazing sounds with even the slightest vibration of attack. But soon I became more involved with music in my school and church and found my instrument of choice, the guitar!