It all started a bright summer morning, one hour before I had to go to Day Jams band camp. I remember the annoying alarm clock displaying 7:30 AM, on a Tuesday. Why did I wake up so early in the summer? I dreaded going to see a lot of people that I did not know, but I still maintained delight. I hopped on the computer, plugged in my iPod, and I patiently waited for it to sync some new music. As it finished, I unplugged the mp3 player, and prepared to depart to my boring band camp.

30 minutes later, in the Forest Ridge middle and high school, I sat in the old drum room. I staying locked in there for so long, and it started being mind-numbing, like when one stares at a decomposing dead squirrel on the side of the road. It just lies there. I got assigned to the room designated for the advanced percussionists only. One would think that is special. But it is nothing like that. Being a very experienced drummer does not mean that everything is a benefit. The teacher taught an ever long lesson that I have probably learned about 4 years ago. It is like an English teacher being taught about the book To Kill A Mockingbird; There is no point!

I threw away my patience. I mostly wanted to write some cool tunes. I wanted inspiration, so I decided to turn on my iPod. As I scrolled through the extensive list, my sharp eyes noticed something I had not noticed before. I received a new free music video by a band called Four Year Strong. Just hearing that band name, I already started smiling. Even though being in that foul drummer’s room, I had huge satisfaction. Everybody loves new songs. As I speedily untangled the complicated ear buds, and plugged them in, I had the grin of an 8 year old getting a big ice cream bar. But when I pressed “play”, somehow, my smile got even bigger. As I heard the guitar play a mind-blowing riff, the breakdown behind it, and then the combination of the two, I felt like I died and went to Heaven. I kept on playing the one song over and over, and I never got tired of it.

I never listened to such melodies like this before. I could not wait until I could go home and find out more about the “gods” who composed such glorious music. I knew from that moment on, that I would go down the drummer’s career path, and never walk off the trail.

I will never forget that Tuesday morning, August 2010. That was my most favorite summer, when I collected all of the Four Year Strong albums. I passed the time as much as I could when I was in band camp, just to go home and praise the intense compositions. It is possible to have music affect you emotionally. It has happened, it is happening, and it will happen for a long time.

That one moment of that very day, and that very song, still affects me right now, because if I had not been careful, I would not have uploaded the new song to my iPod. I would not have checked the band out. If it had not been during band camp, I would not have the great ideas to write good music for my band’s song. It is all about being in the right place, in the right time.