For some context, here are two passages from Mitch Albom’s The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto:
“You will never know all there is to know. You will learn until your final days. Then you will inspire someone else. This is what an artist does” (p.484)
And…
“It is not in the bones. Nor in the lips. Or the lungs or even the hands. I am Music. And Music is in the connection of human souls. Speaking a language that needs no words. Everyone joins a band in the life. And what you play always affects someone. Sometimes, it affects the world” (p.489).
I have a peculiar relationship with music. I have always been aware of my strength in communicating through melody and rhythm. Although I could identify and embody melody, harmony, and rhythm very well, I was also very shy about singing and hearing myself for a long time. I could receive but struggled with giving.
My struggle came from my resistance.
I resisted my culture and my heritage at a time and place when I only knew to fall in line with the dominant culture. My father, Dr. Salah Wilson, my first music and steelpan teacher, is very passionate about his culture, heritage, and steelpan. I understand he wanted his children to embrace it all the same, and it was hard not to when it was our livelihood and each of us had an important role. Yes, even me, from age 5. I can see the blessing in it now, though it was not as easy to appreciate then. I was embarrassed and shy about working and performing with my family all over the city of Montreal. I was mostly angry that I didn’t get to do what the other kids of the dominant culture were doing, like summer camps, soccer clubs, birthday parties, etc. I was angry that I didn’t get to do what I knew I wanted to do, like acting and theatre school. I remember wanting to be an actor from as early as 10 years old. I knew I was funny and had the dynamic personality for it. But it wasn’t steelpan, so it wasn’t going to happen. The past is forgiven. I believe my parents did the best they could, and all their intentions were not lost.
Life has a funny and peculiar way of working out.
At 12, I began this journey of carving my path and realizing that I had to put action to my intention. I pursued activities that would help me develop into the multi-faceted being I am. I’m learning to channel my 12-year-old self when I want to go after something I believe in. I learned how to convince and negotiate with my parents by showing them that I was genuinely passionate about platform diving, volleyball, and drumming, all of which I continue to practice today. Youth is for trying, exploring, and discovering. Adolescence and young adulthood are for deepening, experiencing, and honing in on the passion through repetition — training. And 20-something years later, I believe this is a cycle that can and should be revisited at any stage of life.
The thing about being multi-faceted is that transferable skills are developed through our string of relatable experiences and pursuits.
When it comes to volleyball, what I love about the game is that it’s a team sport. It’s about building a team, a community, a family, identifying and respecting roles and responsibilities, working together towards a singular goal, supporting each other, patching up the cracks, and constantly negotiating. I grew up with this team mentality in my household of music and my father’s steelpan academy, and it informs who I am as a musician. This reflection serves as a reminder to myself that I am much more on track and connected to my roots than I give myself credit for. I hope that resonates with you, too. I love that this apple — me — hasn’t rolled too far from the family tree that branches out far and wide for how much our family is a community family. It’s not always or at all peachy because it’s an apple tree after all...
Music is community is family.