As far as I can remember, I have always had a deep-seeded connection with music. The melodies of my past, the ones I’ve heard on the radio and the ones I’ve written and sang, all embody the artist that I am today. It seems as if it were yesterday that I was sitting on the edge of my mother’s bathtub, watching her every move as she applied her make-up and teased her hair. The voices of numerous eighties divas accompanied by funky synth chords reverberated in the background. I recall zooming down the open road with my uncle, hearing the thunderous voice of Bruce Springsteen and the celestial coos of David Bowie. These were the moments where it all began…

My life began as every true glam-rocker did – fierce, glittered, and studded. Those were the days when I would spend hours prancing about in the living room in my black leather jacket and tighty-whities. I created and choreographed my own performances while my eyes were glued to the T.V., watching the neon frenzy of Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston, Boy George, Madonna, and Michael Jackson music videos. Before long, my parents bought me my very first turntable – an object of great wonder to my free, innocent spirit. I began building my very own music library, filled with hundreds of CD’s, cassettes, and vinyl. On my own I decided to branch out and discover what lay beneath the surface of rock and pop music. Journeying through the mystical elements of Fleetwood Mac and the hard-core, roughness of Pat Benatar, I found my genuine passion.

Not only would music later influence my voice and way of dance, it would also empower my rebellious fashion flair. Hairspray, gaudy jewelry, and acid-washed denim became my best friends. I grew more and more daring every step of the way, begging my mom to allow me to dye my hair. Music remained my excuse for inspiring me to push the envelope of my rebelliousness, while fashion became my outlet to show the world who I was and wanted to become.

Music continues to play a pivotal role in my life, helping me push through circumstances that seem somewhat unbearable at times. My close bond with this powerful art form grew even closer when I became a teenager. The teenage years of my life saw forth the idolization of a modern artist with an avant-garde sense of style and a futuristic aesthetic – Lady Gaga. This woman’s music helped me push through many of the dark alley ways of high school life. High school can be a scary place, especially when you’re still on the search for your identity. It was also the glitter and glamour of show choir that helped save me from my inner turmoil. I felt an overwhelming sense of joy meeting others who shared my passion of performing through the power of music. From that point on, I knew where I was headed.

The boy in a leather jacket and tighty-whities still lives within me – a persona that I will never steer away from. Music has molded me into a sculpture of my very own and someday the inspirations of my past will lend themselves to my future, showing the world that I am an artist of several forms and transformations. Music serves as a constant reminder of my entire life as a melodic journey from start to finish; it reminds me that my footprints will be followed by an unending legacy, every tune brightening my creative intuition. Still to this day, I walk down the lonely streets at midnight, combat boots laced up and headphones in my ears, without a single care in the world: an icon in the making.