Brown

Johnny Brown
ENG-111-54
Ms. Chiquita Boyd
04 June 2014
Essay 1 Nonfition Narrati!e
"#ina$ %raft&
Musi 'ha(ed My )ife
People have experienced music in various ways. Some people enjoy just listening to it,
while others enjoy making it. I find myself in the category of those who enjoy listening, as well
as making it. The gift of music and those who introduced me to it impacted me greatly. It is
from this experience, that I would like to share with you how music shaped my life.
s a child, it was commonplace for music to !e !oth enjoyed as well as expressed in our
home. Those experiences made me into the man I am today. "ver time, I have reali#ed that
many people, young and old, have gone through life without having an in$depth experience with
music. %ortunately, I was set on the path to explore the wonderful world of music& a world filled
with life, sounds and a whole range of feelings and emotions' %rom the first day I sang the lead
in a song, played my first !eat, and strummed my first chord I knew that my life would never !e
the same, for music touched my heart in a way that it never had !efore. Therefore, I can say,
music shaped my life. (usic has shaped my life in a num!er of ways& with some !eing,
progressing to higher levels, formal as well as informal training, and gaining the knowledge of
the !asics of music, and what this rt is all a!out.
t a young age music captured my attention. )ike many, I enjoyed the songs I heard on
the radio as well as the songs I heard in *hurch. There were many days when I was just a
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listener. s time went on, I progressed from just merely listening to music, into skillfully singing
and playing it. The more I listened to music and was surrounded !y musicians, my interest in it
increased. (y mother, whom was a singer and musician, inspired me to learn how to !oth sing
and play. fter reali#ing how important it was to me for music to !e apart of my life, I was
motivated to pursue its many aspects.
Pursuing music ushered me into the arena of playing !y ear, as well as !eing formally
trained. (y mother was instrumental in training me to first sing and play !y ear. ,-o, .ohnny,
don/t sing it like that, sing it like this0 and ,1on/t play it that fast, slow it down just a little0 are
statements that she would often make in her sincere desire to help me perfect my talents. 2e/d
often have practices and drills, several times a week. ,Practice, practice, practice, .ohnny, that/s
the only way you/ll get !etter,0 she would gently !ut firmly say. t times, I can hear her just as
clearly in my head, as if it were yesterday. The discipline and training played a great part in
making me a great musician. s a result of these sessions, I am very capa!le of structuring
harmony chords, as well as shaping and !lending the overall tones of each musical piece I
choose or create.
In looking !ack, my formal training !egan in the 3
th
grade, which included !and and
chorus. The foundational training that I received !oth formal and informal, has given me great
knowledge, and has helped me tremendously. s a result of that training, I learned to read sheet
music as well as play various instruments. (y training has helped me to excel to high platforms
and it has given me the a!ility to instruct others vocally and instrumentally. The knowledge I
have gained over the years in and through music, have not only helped me technically !ut it has
also helped to shape my character and personality.
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s stated !efore, music has shaped my life in more ways than one. "ne way has !een
through, progressing to higher levels, formal as well as informal training and gaining the
knowledge of the !asics of music and what this rt is all a!out. The discipline and !eauty of
music has touched various areas of my life. I have !een fortunate to have held positions as main
musician, music director and music mentor in several *hurches. "n a larger platform, I have
played for and have !een on stage with major recording artists, and I have done some studio
work as well. Parts of my accomplishments also include !eing registered as a song writer and
composer. I will forever cherish having the opportunity to explore and experience the exciting
world of music. It is my goal to put forth the effort to go !eyond what has already !een
esta!lished and achieve the highest plateau possi!le.
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