by Steven Lee
“Oh my god! You like them too?” I guess that started our first conversation. I met this guy because he lived next to my good friend in the men’s 8th dorm. I’d always known who he was but we’d never really talked before. But when we started talking about music we couldn’t stop. He was skinny and about 180 cm tall. As I got to know him, I found out more about him than his appearance. He was teaching guitar at a high school as a part time job and used to be a member of a band. At that time he was thinking about forming a new band and I also wanted to be in one. So we decided to form one together, after summer vacation, so I could have time to practice (I wasn’t really good enough to be in a band). Summer finally came and I became busy with work, and he was busy teaching and looking for a place to practice. I still remember the smile on his face when he told me he finally found a place where he could practice without bothering his roommate. So he moved all of his stuff from his dorm to his so-called “studio 300.” It was very close to where I worked so I went almost every day to practice. Every time I went there I could see him playing or teaching guitar. In that steamy room with no air conditioning, he would practice for hours without any breaks; while I would just practice for several minutes and take hour-long breaks. When he wasn’t playing guitar he would be reading books on music or practicing with his synthesizer. Since he stayed there every day, his girlfriend of two years came to see him often. Because they argued a lot, usually because she was angry that he didn’t spend enough time with her. Every time she got angry and left, he would start playing his guitar furiously without saying a word. Then one day he told me that he broke up with her. He had chosen music instead of love; his desire towards his music was so strong it left him no other choice. The new school year started. He was busier than ever. Other than teaching at a high school, he had taken on several jobs tutoring guitar and also had to go to school in between. Since we were both busy, we couldn’t meet often. It seemed like our plan for a band was gone like a puff of smoke. And one day he told me with a really excited voice that he was moving into a fully equipped, real studio. Ever since he moved there, I hardly saw him at the dorm or at school. Every time I called him, he was busy making music. I soon found out that he was actually preparing to release an album. The last time I saw him was at his studio. He looked really tired, but his face was filled with joy and hope. He was walking on a road that he dreamt for years, but had also worked for. He had made many sacrifices to make his dream come true, and this made me realize that if I wanted something, too, I would have to work hard and devote myself to it. Maybe it’s not a 100% foolproof guarantee of success, but the important thing would be that at least I tried my best. What do you think?? #Volume 7 Issue 2 a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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