Hooked on Music

Hooked+on+Music

Joaquim Souza, Gr. 9

Mom woke me up  “Get ready, it’s time to leave!”.  I didn’t know what was going on at first but I  went along with her.  I was so tired, I didn’t even realize what day it was and before I knew it we were out the door and in the car. 

It was very early in the morning so I went back to sleep. When I woke, I was greeted by the sound of cars and the singing bridge right before Hilo. I was still confused but also hungry and just wanted to eat. My mom and I went to  Sugarcane Café and got smoothies and breakfast.   “Where are we going?” I finally asked.  “You don’t remember? “she said . “We’re going to Puna for band camp!” At that moment I remembered why I had put my mom’s old guitar in the car along with some music books.  I was hesitant at first because I had never played music past strumming along to different songs, not knowing the notes and being out of tune. 

As we were finishing up our food and getting back on the road I started asking  lots of questions. “ Where will it be?  How long is it? When will we be home?” and  “Mom, will you come with me?”  “ I cant.” she replied.  I, being six, had not done much without my parents or older sister. I was excited that I would be able to see other kids and have fun but I was also  scared at the same time because I didn’t know anyone there or anything about music.

      When we arrived in Puna, I was ready to start my first day of camp because it was like school for me and I had never been to school before. I just remembered giving my mom a big hug,  grabbing my stuff and walking by myself into the school where the camp was happening.

Since it was summer, the sun was shining and consuming everything in heat and light. You could hear the birds  and all the kids having their own conversations.   I remember walking into my first class where I decided to play the guitar. I imagined playing at lunch. I was ready to make new friends and run around.  I ran, climbed, and made friends, but music was the last thing on my mind. 

 Later at home I told my mom how much fun I had with the other kids.  She asked what I learned and I said “I forget.” I didn’t care much about the music at first and was only concerned about meeting new friends and running around the field, seeing the animals and plants etc. 

It wasn’t until around my third or fourth day that I remember listening to the teachers and actually understanding and caring about what they said. I started to practice at home and play on my own, and as the week unfolded I was hooked. 

    On last day of camp we would have to do a performance, and I was horrified. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I was so sure I was gonna fail or mess up, but I didn’t because I focused on playing that day. I was so focused on playing that I wasn’t anxious at all. I did the performance perfectly with my other classmates and was so proud of myself. I remember going home that day and humming what we played over and over again.  I asked my mom one more question, “Can I go next year?”