A long, long time ago, my very first musical decision happened in a California church at eight years old. I was standing in the back when a man walked on stage with a 12-string guitar. I tugged on my mom’s arm, pointed, and whispered, “I want to play that one.”

Soon after, my parents found a 3/4-size Jasmine classical guitar on Craigslist. I still remember taking off my shoes to walk across the white carpet and seeing that little guitar pulled from a box under the bed. That instrument, and a string of humble, patient teachers, quietly set the course for the rest of my life.