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By Rhys Lett

What Inspired You to Learn an Instrument?

We all start out as beginners inspired by music we hear. We all have a passion for music that created the drive to learn. We spent the hours making horrible noises in order to make something that resembled a song. This week I asked the teachers of the Eastern Suburbs School of Music what inspired them to pick up an instrument and start playing.

What Inspired You to Learn an Instrument?

Daniel Lijnders – Bass/Guitar/Ukulele – Boronia

Learning the Bass Guitar was in my blood – my Mum played bass guitar in a band (even while pregnant with me!). Aside from that it was listening to my favourite bass lines from 90’s bands such as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rage Against the Machine and Pearl Jam that inspired me to continue with my own bass playing.

Jason Fados  – Guitar/Rock Band Workshop – Boronia

Metallica & Iron Maiden were huge influences during my high school years. Both bands made me utterly obsessed with the guitar. I would play their riffs until my fingers bled. Some songs in particular: Hallowed Be Thy Name & Fade To Black. I always get a buzz teaching these songs to my students.

Rhys Lett – Guitar – Boronia/Carrum Downs

I was completely inspired by The Beatles. Even as a toddler they meant everything to me. All I wanted to do was to be able to play all their songs on guitar. I taught myself guitar chords from a Beatles song book I saved up for with money from by 12th birthday. I wrote down each song I could play on an old envelope. I really wanted to learn how to play their song “Blackbird”. It sounded like it was impossible to play. This is still a song I play regularly at gigs and teach to students now.

Luke Shore – Drums – Boronia

Being exposed to Phill Collins was the first music to fuel my desire to learn drum set. In particular the songs “In the Air Tonight” and “Lorenzo”.

Mary Lo – Piano/Violin – Boronia

As a young child in Hong Kong, it seemed everyone I knew was learning the piano so I followed the trend.  I persisted but I was not inspired back then.  I came to Australia when I was 9 years old and the music education system is a lot more relaxed.  A few years later I started violin and having joined several ensembles of creating music together, the true love of music has begun. The basics of classical piano and violin has given me the right technique now to be able to play any style I wish – pop, folk, jazz and rock.