Describe the most challenging obstacle you have had to overcome; discuss its impact, and tell us what you have learned from the experience.

Fear and Panic

The scent of wood and paint, the dazzling light that illuminated the whole room and, most

importantly, the absolute quietness. As I entered the theater these feelings overcame my senses.

Sweat engulfed my hands, my fingers quivered erratically as I put them on the fretboard. My leg

was trembling so hard it was a struggle just to keep the guitar on place. And the quietness… it was

as if the sound of a pin falling to the ground made the sound of an avalanche. Fear and panic.

This is the scene of one of the first times I played in front of an audience. As if the pressure of

playing, completely alone, in front of a big audience was not enough, it was also not just any kind of

concert; this was the inauguration of a prestigious international festival. I was scheduled to play

before and after many masters of the instrument. And I was a total embarrassment for myself that

day.

The instant I finished playing I felt overwhelmingly frustrated and humiliated with myself. This

was, by far, the worst performance I had given to date. Up to that day I felt quite confident and even

cocky about my skills as a guitarist. The ghastly performance I gave was the slap in the face I

needed to see reality; there are millions of people with skills much greater than mine. This showed

me the incredible amount of knowledge, skill, and practice I was lacking.

After such a tragic concert I felt so disappointed at myself it was hard just to pick up my guitar

again. The memory of that day haunted me every day, and every time I remembered it I felt

immensely embarrassed. Whenever I tried to play my guitar, humiliation and frustration

overwhelmed me. Nevertheless, I still knew this was my passion and that I would never forgive

myself if I just abandoned it after only one disastrous night.

I, thankfully, was able to canalize all the humiliation and the frustration I had been feeling into a

newfound fervor and determination to play, play, and keep playing. Until that moment, I studied

very quietly, often with a rag in my guitar because I didn’t want anyone to hear any mistake I could

make. After feeling the way I did that day, I studied as loud as I could everywhere I could. This

slowly built my confidence and, also, my desire to play in front of people. The next time I played in

front of an audience I wanted to astonish them. I wanted the audience to get lost, with me, in the

beautiful world of music.

After a few months, I was invited to play in an even bigger theater. This time I was prepared for the

battle to come. I entered the stage very calm, relaxed, and actually happy and excited to play in front

of so many people. As soon as I played the first note, I immersed myself completely into the music.

After I finished playing I felt completely different than I had in my earlier humiliating performance,

where I was frustrated and close to a nervous breakdown. I, now, had a feeling of fulfillment inside

me.

A single disastrous concert is the most challenging obstacle I had to overcome to date. And I am

glad it happened. I learned from that one humiliating night what a thousand standing ovations would

not have taught me. I am also glad it happened at an early age, as it prevented me from making a

myriad of mistakes during my studies. Even though I was on the verge of completely giving up on

my dream because of that day, I am glad it happened.