My Musical Journey

This is a story about how I became a musician and gained the inspiration to play the guitar. Music has tremendously influenced my life, especially rock and metal, which all started when I was ten. I was playing with my nephews in the hallway of my home when I heard a loud noise coming from my older brother’s room. It had loud, scratchy singing, distorted guitars, and the tolling of bells. I ran to his room and discovered he was listening to “Hell’s Bells” by AC/DC. From there, I started to sneak into my brother’s room and look through his collection of records. His collection consisted of AC/DC, Def Leppard, Billy Idol, etc. It wasn’t until I turned twelve that I bought my first CD, “Metallica …And Justice for All.” Then a metalhead was born!

Teenage angst and rebellion against the authority figure gave way to the heavy metal community, and I was honoured to be a part of it. My vast collection of music CDs and metal magazines was huge. Musical influences throughout my teen years are Metallica, Megadeth, AC/DC, Motley Crue, Slayer, and Guns N’ Roses. I still listen to these bands and the newer generations of rock and metal, including Slipknot, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, and by far my favourite band of all time, Godsmack! These particular bands, especially the ones from the eighties and early nineties, have influenced and inspired me to become a musician. I watched a lot of music videos on TV platforms like MTV, Much Music, and even an old program called “Good Rockin’ Tonight.” It was because of these bands and videos that I was inspired to play the guitar.

To play the guitar well, I needed someone who would teach me how to play and help me eventually own my own guitar. That was where my beloved Father came in. In the spring of 1994, I got off the bus from school and ran home to have dinner with my parents. As I walked in and went to the kitchen, my father sat at the table with my mother, having coffee. Seeing me, Father said, “Go to your room right now!”

Honestly, I thought I was in trouble from a dispute I had in school. He marched me downstairs to my room. I saw an acoustic guitar lying on my bed when I opened my door. He knew I wanted to play the guitar, so he bought one from a local pawn shop. I was so happy that I gave him a big hug. He sat me down in my room, structured a chord chart on a piece of paper, and played the three major chords for me: G, C, and D. I was so amazed by Father’s guitar playing that I wanted to become a guitar player. My father had his own unique talents. He loved playing country music, often inspired by artists like George Jones and Hank Williams Sr. His passion for music sparked my interest in learning the guitar, although I eventually pursued a heavier style. I have many pictures of my father, but the one I cherish the most is an older photo of him with his acoustic guitar. I am unsure when it was taken, but it holds a special place in my heart. As I began my musical journey, I found the inspiration I needed to develop my talents further.

About a year after my father bought me my acoustic guitar, I started buying guitar magazines from my local shopping mall, hoping to find some new techniques for playing it. These magazines contained teachings that are known as tablatures. It took a few weeks for me to understand them, but amazingly, I figured out how to play it. By following the number patterns drawn on six lines, I learned how to play songs made famous by huge bands. The first song I learned from guitar magazines was “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. Soon after that, I was learning other well-known songs like Stairway to Heaven, Sweet Child o’ Mine, Symphony of Destruction, and others. Their influences took me on a new path of guitar playing and challenged me to improve.

As the years went by, my guitar playing improved, and new songs kept coming, making it easier for me to learn by ear. I also gained access to tabs on the internet, which was a great improvement over buying magazines. One website that I frequently used was called “TabCrawler.” I am not sure if it is still in use today, but it was incredibly helpful during my teenage years.

I also started hanging out with other aspiring musicians from my local high school. We often got together to jam to our favourite songs. Unfortunately, we never had a complete lineup to call ourselves a band since we all played guitar. However, I did meet someone who played the drums—he was a friend of my nephew. After my nephew introduced us, we began spending a lot of time together, and he taught me how to play the drums. It was a challenging experience at first, but after a lot of practice, I improved significantly and became better at playing the drums.

As my talents grew, I asked for an electric guitar and an amplifier for my birthday. My mother and father decided I was ready for one because I played metal music in my bedroom. Distortion and fast picking were desired for my playing style, which is quite challenging on an acoustic. On my seventeenth birthday, I received my very first electric guitar and amplifier, both of which came from the old Sears catalogue that my parents used to order from, similar to shopping on Amazon today. I was extremely satisfied with my gift, as it allowed me to shred and jam along to my favourite songs.

In 2003, I met some other musicians and joined a few rock bands. I had already graduated from high school and started working as a carpenter with my father, uncle, and brother. I received a phone call from an old friend from school who asked me if I was interested in playing the bass for his high school cover band. I accepted and became a part of his band called “Breathe.” Playing the bass was something like the guitar, except it consists of four, sometimes five, large strings and carries the flow of the songs. We played a few shows in my local reservation and some in Winnipeg for high school conferences. We even wrote three songs together and played them live. Finally, playing in a rock band was a tremendous experience, and it had always been my dream.

During my time with the cover band, Breathe, I was scouted by two other musicians looking for a bass player to join their rock band. I received a call from an aspiring drummer who wanted me to come jam with his bandmates, and I accepted. Although the first jam went well, it didn’t feel right. I am a guitar player through and through, so I asked the new guys if I could try a song with them on a guitar. We jammed to a classic song called “Fuel” from Metallica. As we finished the song, the drummer smiled and said, “Alright, all we need now is a bass player!” I was in the band as their lead guitarist. The band I joined was called “Voyd,” which was based out of Fisher River Cree Nation, located north of my reservation, Peguis First Nation.

The band I joined, namely, Voyd, went through some troubling times as differences within the band escalated and broke the band apart, except for the drummer and me. We then decided to search for some new bandmates to jam with, and we did. We found two guys from the local area, both guitar players, and asked if they wanted to jam with us. They gladly accepted because they enjoyed the type of music we played. One of the guitarists agreed to switch from guitar to bass. After that, we put a notice on the website asking for a singer for our new group, and one guy from Winnipeg responded. We met in Winnipeg to discuss jam sessions and which cover songs we wanted to play. This new band that I was involved in was called Word of Mouth.

Word of Mouth released a seven-track album in 2006, allowing us to play in city clubs and bars. We even got recognition from Power 97 and the old bar called The Zoo, which was located on Osborne Street in Winnipeg before it was torn down. Sadly, due to differences and alcohol addiction, I decided to quit the band. I still keep in touch with all my former bandmates.

In 2010, I received a phone call for a job interview at my local school. I was asked if I wanted to work as an education assistant. I accepted because doing absolutely nothing but drinking and making no money was not getting me anywhere. I needed a job. To this very day, I am still working for my school as an educator. I even asked for a chance to give guitar lessons to the students as an after-school project. The school board agreed to grant me some money to purchase ten acoustic guitars from my favourite music store in Winnipeg. In 2016, I received approval for the guitars and started free lessons.

Today, I am still an educator, playing my guitars and jamming with most of my old bandmates and friends whenever we have the time. And yes, I am STILL a metalhead! One thing about my musical talents is that they will never go to waste. I have a story to tell, a talent to share, and a gift to give. I now own four electric guitars, one bass guitar, and four acoustic guitars. One, in particular, is the first acoustic my father gave me, which is in the picture at the beginning of this story on the far left. 

Do old habits die hard? Yes, they do! Because I am a die-hard metalhead! This is the story I told during our storytelling night at my reserve, one of the oral assignments for my first-year English course, and my creative project. Thanks are due to my professor for offering us a storytelling opportunity during the course. The story is as inspiring as it is influential.