For the first time in years, someone had noticed something about me that had nothing to do with grades, chores, or money.

I began staying later at the center.

I learned basic chords, then more complicated ones.

I listened to recordings and tried to work out how different sounds fit together.

Eventually, I became more interested in recording music than simply playing it.

There was something extraordinary about hearing a rough melody turn into a finished song.

A guitar part could sound completely different when recorded twice and layered together.

A voice could be moved closer or farther away in a recording without anyone changing where they stood.