Band and sports took the drugs out of my hands and replaced them with a musical instrument and my teammates became my new family to support me and my growth from a troubled youth.

 

At some point music and sports stuck with me more and allowed me to express and relieve myself of emotional stress in other ways, it helped to calm my angry, savage soul. Without music, sports, and my musical family I know I would be dead or in the jail easily.

 

Every music teacher that came into my life changed it for the better, though it was rough for them, it literally took "A Village" to change my life.  Around 27-28 is when I finally got it. My eyes opened to reality when I started working at a high school in Prince George’s County Maryland with a bunch of mini-mes. Truly troubled, misguided unfocused rough youth I got to see myself in them and it forced me to fully change and grow up as I see they needed me as I needed my Village to grow and survive life and death.

 

Becoming an educator changed my life and the kids I've been blessed to teach, educate, nurture, mentor, raise and love are the reason for my full growth to being a better person, man, and leader. They are one of the biggest parts of me being alive today.

 

I just couldn't let those kids down by not being there for them in their time of need, like all my teachers (Village) did for me!!