Nostalgia
Rhythm guitarist & Composer/Producer
Believer
About Nostalgia
AGE: 30
HOMETOWN: Toronto, Canada
ETHNICITY: Grenadian
RELIGION: Christian
FAVOURITE ANIMES: Digimon, Attack on Titan, Given, Haikyuu!, K-ON!!, Angel Beats, My Hero Academia, Sound Euphonium, Assassination Classroom, A Place Further Than The Universe, Bocchi The Rock!
MUSICAL INFLUENCES/FAVOURITE ARTISTS:
CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL ARTISTS (Listening/Exploring birth to 2012, and 2024-): Donnie McClurkin, James Fortune, Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin, Carlene Davis, The Winans, CeCe Winans, Matt Redman, Travis Greene, Israel & New Breed
JAPANESE ARTISTS (Listening/Exploring between 2006-2023): One OK Rock, Official Hige Dandism, Spyair, Kouji Wada, The Oral Cigarettes, Nico Touches The Wall, Burnout Syndromes, Polkadot Stingray, Centimillimental, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Yui, Ace Collection, Frederic, Stereopony, Scandal, FliP
WESTERN ARTISTS (Listening/Exploring between 2006-2014): Hilary Duff, Hannah Montana, Demi Lovato, High School Musical, Camp Rock, Barenaked Ladies, Cheetah Girls, Lemonade Mouth, Bridgit Mendler, Zac Brown Band, Various songs from Guitar Hero/Band Hero
KPOP GROUPS (Listening/Exploring/Dancing between 2011-2021): Griend, F(x), Twice, Crayon Pop, Orange Caramel, Wonder Girls, SHINee, Sistar, BTS, 4Minute, Mamamoo, Got7, Red Velvet, Stellar, AOA
My Performance History
While I may be new to guitar, I have been partaking in performance arts since childhood, such as keyboard, clarinet, and viola. I got to perform independently on the piano at church and viola at school.
My choir performed at Roy Thompson Hall, and my drum line performed at Massey Hall, Juno Hoops, and other events in my city, Toronto. I also took part in our school’s Little Shop of Horrors musical production. I’ve also danced and performed at as cheerleader.
With the anime cover band I created (Chromatic Dreamers Band Project), I got to perform at the Japanese Culture Centre during the Pretty Heroes Convention twice, at See-Scape hosted by Dolly Momoiro’s Idol Revolution hosted at See-Scape, and at Mississauga Celebration Square for Japan Fest 2023. More recently, I’ve been recruited to be the guitarist for a church plant.
All in all, I’m someone who values being part of a team, whether as the leader or as a member. I am someone who practices diligently to ensure I can play a piece perfectly and consistently. I know how much pressure the stage adds, so I prefer to be prepared and be someone my group can rely on.
I also have some backend experience as I’ve assisted with my old church’s A/V booth for a couple years, and learned production (Fruity Loops) back in school. I was just gifted FL Studio recently and I started releasing some original instrumental music.
Packed & Ready To Go
Since my main goal as a guitarist was to perform, I have invested quite a bit to insure I had the tools required. I know how to clean and change strings for my guitars. After the band project was done, I have sold a few things. As of February 2025, I own these items:
GUITARS: Ibanez S Standard, Epiphone Les Paul Special, Jasmine Acoustic-Electric.
GUITAR ADD-ONS: Roland Mini Cube Amp, Snark Super Tight Chromatic Tuner, Capos.
PEDALS: Amazon Overdrive, Sonicake Noise Wiper, FLAMMA Preamp, DONNER Reverb
PERFORMING TOOLS: Variety of Earplugs (2 Loop Quiet, Bernafon Molded EarPlugs, Disposable Foam Plugs), Soundbrenner Core Steel Metronome/Tuning Watch, Getaria Wireless Guitar System
RECORDING TOOLS: Focusrite Scarlett Interface, Audio-Technica Condenser Microphone, FL Studio
As for learning songs, I can get through and remember most songs in a day (less than an hour for just rhythm/chords), but I do prefer at least 3 days to really familiarize myself with the song itself and work out the kinks. If the song is faster or contains new chords and complex progressions (which is common in Japanese music), I would like at least a week or more.
Anything truly is possible if you believe in yourself, trust in God, and take action! Let me prove that to you.
- Nostalgia
My Musical Autobiography
Music Exposure & School Life
Growing up, I was exposed to various kinds of music. My music classes would usually play classical or traditional pieces. My father had a box full of records and he’d play Michael Jackson, The Four Tops, Saturday Night Fever, Bob Marley, and even some Italian artists. My mother would play female greats like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion on her CDs. I’d be exposed to Gospel music at home and at church every Saturday/Sabbath (SDA). My older brother would blast his hip hop and rap music, and my lil sis came to love R&B and soul. Of course Pop was always on the radio, and I’d hear Calypso and Reggae at extended family parties and on trips to the Caribbean.
In elementary school, I had yet to hear anything I truly loved and connected with outside of Gospel music. While I may hear songs here and there that I’d want to save for myself, nothing really spoke to me. Regardless, I loved music class, playing instruments, and even singing in school. My parents both played the keyboard casually, and they put me in keyboard lessons for a few months when I was about 5 or 6. I later had my own Yamaha keyboard which I could learn songs off of, and I’d play it casually for many years. Sometimes I’ll find an anime piece I really wanted to learn, and I’d spend weeks working through it, memorizing as I go along, but I never practiced to perfection, I was happy just mostly having it down.
I learned to play the recorder in elementary school, and upgraded to clarinet between Grade 6-9. I was in my high school’s drum line for 2 years, and also took after school viola lessons with a teacher for on year. Music was never a popular subject among my peers, so there was no band class to join after grade 10, so I took music/computers in Grade 11 which taught me some production on FruityLoops, and keyboard in Grade 12. It was always my favourite class and I was involved in other extracurriculars that surrounded music like choir, music council, drama club (for a musical one year), and cheerleading.
How I Got Into Japanese Music
As mentioned earlier, I was exposed to various genres and artists in my elementary years, but nothing really appealed to me. In Grade 6 (Middle School), thanks to a music group project, I was introduced to Hilary Duff and she is the first non-Christian artist that I would consider myself a fan of. She had more encouraging and positive music, and I found out I really loved rock/pop-rock. I came to love other Disney channel stars and groups like Cheetah Girls, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, Camp Rock, and High School Musical.
The same school year I discovered Hilary Duff, I decided to give Digimon a second chance. My brother watched it while it was airing, but my 5-year old mind thought it was terrifying. Ironic since I watched other shows with fighting like Dragonball Z and Sailormoon, but Diigmon had ugly monsters with missiles, and the kids would actually be hurt and cry. They didn’t want to be in the digital world, they wanted to go home and be normal kids. Regardless, I did play with my brother’s digivices to face him or for the minigames, so I had fond memories regardless.
So when my family had the internet for a bit, and Youtube was live, I watched the series on there and I fell in love. The kids were very relatable, and it taught me a lot of positive morals and lessons. After a while, the ‘Digimon Japanese Opening’ kept popping up in the recommendation section. I decided to check it out and I was blown away. Compared to the simple rap version that was used for English, the Japanese was musically intriguing, and the lyrics were very beautiful. Outside of Hilary Duff and a few rock hits like “We Will Rock You”, I really had no idea of what rock could be like, but my mind was blown away! The future openings were just as amazing! I had to do research and that’s when I found out the show, along with all my other favourite childhood ‘cartoons’ were actually anime from Japan.
This was a huge pivotal moment in my life. I got very curious about Japan and why they were able to create such beautiful music and touching shows that had a lasting impact on me. I’ve been obsessed with the little island since. While I did continue to watch anime now and then (it was hard due to lack of internet over the years, I even committed to downloading episodes at the library to watch later for a few years), I was definitely more interested in the music. Digimon confirmed that rock or pop rock music was truly my favourite genre, BUT it needed to be combined with very interesting chord progressions, along with meaningful and/or encouraging messages.
It was very hard finding Japanese music and artists then, so my main source was through animes. If I heard an opening or closing I liked, I would try to find other songs by that artists and download them on an MP3. Some of my first favourite artists were Kouji Wada, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Yui, and Puffy Amiyumi. It was also quite hard to explore as I didn’t always have internet at home over the years, but the songs I did have in my humble collection, I treasured and rarely ever got tired of them. I also discovered more songs and artists through arcade games like Dance Dance Revolution, and through Jpop/Vocaloid dance covers.
In Grade 10, after really getting into the Angel Beats soundtrack, I was a little annoyed. I really wanted to understand the lyrics without always having to look up translations all the time, and that was my trigger to actually start learning the language. My last 2 years of high school, I printed out all I could find to study at home and I made great progress. Then, in my year at York University (1 year scholarship), I took a Japanese class which I aced somewhat easily as I had a decent foundation beforehand, though I was certainly challenged more near the end. It was a great opportunity to finally practice speaking and to ask questions.
Why I Picked Up Guitar
I retired from music in my final year of high school because I figured I didn’t have any natural talent, wasn’t proficient at any instrument, and didn’t have a future in it anyways. I knew it was a risky and competitive field, and since my family struggled, I wasn’t willing to compete when I became aware that I sucked. Other kids could play by ear, improvise, create, but it took a lot of time and energy just to cover a song. However, when looking for a hobby, music was always attractive. I thought it would be cool to master an instrument….but which one?
As an adult, I purchased a violin, ocarina, and harmonica, but since they were quite loud, I couldn’t practice at all since I shared a room and lived in a small apartment. I didn’t want to annoy my family or be clowned on for making mistakes. Later on, remembering my band dream, I tried bass, but I had yet to appreciate the instrument, and re-sold it. I then considered drums more seriously, buying sticks and a pad, putting my drum line skills to use, but without space for a kit, it would be hard to practice coordination.
2016 was a weird year for me. I had no internet at home, so I would usually play on my Nintendo DS or Wii or just waste my evenings lying around. After playing Guitar Hero in the arcade at the movie theatre a couple of times , I decided to buy a used version to play at home on my Wii. Later that year, I also ended a relationship and no longer had anything to do on the weekend. I did really like Guitar Hero, so I considered learning the real thing….but I was always very against the instrument. It felt like everyone could play it, and I didn’t want to work hard just to be average…but I still had my band dream and thought it could help me bring that dream to life. I loved that it could work with others or be played alone (unlike bass). So after enough consideration, I bought a used guitar in early 2017.
When an electric guitar is unplugged, It is quiet enough that you can hear it without disturbing others, which made it easy to play everyday after my evening shift, even with my sister sleeping in the same room, so I consistently played and practiced it for months. I printed out chords and tabs at work, and thanks to the layout of the fretboard, I was able to see patterns for the first time and actually apply music theory I learned in school, being able to improvise confidently for the first time. I was ecstatic and felt a spark that I never felt with a previous instrument. So I was really excited about the potential of guitar, having an instrument that could play solos and chords, and that was easy to transpose.
My Guitar Learning Journey
The journey has certainly had it’s ups and downs. 6 months in, I wasn’t sure where to go next so I invested in private lessons. He saw a lot of improv potential the first and second class, and he sent me home to learn a song by ear for homework. I came back learning it in the lower frets which is the only place I really played so far. I also couldn’t really hear the use of bends or slides just yet, nor did I ever really play with distortion to practice muting since I always played unplugged.
When I played my cover for him, He said it was ‘all wrong’, showed me where and how to play it, and expected me to play it on the spot at full speed. I did my best, but would always be flat on a bend or an open string would ring out. He said how I’ll have to start from the beginning with my guitar playing and I got discouraged. I said I’ll come back when I learned what he taught, but I just didn’t really care to play anymore, so I packed my guitar up.
The next couple years was enlightening for me. I did my first solo trip ever to Japan in 2018 and got to see my guitar friend on stage again. In 2019, I got to dance on stage with Dolly Momoiro and the THS dance team, and went to my first concert to see my favourite band, ONE OK ROCK a few days later. I was feeling inspired, courageous, and I realized, the band dream didn’t wasn’t as far as I thought. So for my 2020 New Year Resolution, I picked up the instrument again. We had internet at this point, so I was exploring Youtube, but it was overwhelming. I started getting Guitar Trick ads and gave it a shot, and it’s been one of the best decisions. Short and concise videos with a clear learning path, and it helped me fill the holes in my foundation. A bit after, I started my Instagram, Key2Nostalgia, where I’d upload clips of what I was working on and my currently playing ability.
Covid started a bit after, and I decided this was a great opportunity to get the band thing going. I knew it wouldn’t be just a few months, so what better time for people to practice than when they are forced to stay home and paid to do nothing? I found a couple alliances who were down to join me, but couldn’t find another as they wanted to meet before committing. I did play quite a bit in this time, but also took months off to build my career, work on this blog, and try other business ideas, but it’s certainly been a lot of growth as I put the band dream together.
Returning To My Faith Seriously
While my blog was simply focused on J-Music, Anime, and my journey as a rookie guitarist, I have recently added Christianity to the mix. In late 2022, being around certain people made me realize witchcraft is quite real and that some things aren’t just costumes and games. I was quite ignorant, living in a bubble, but the darkness of this world became very clear and I realized how close we were to the end based on signs, so I just wanted to run back to God.
I grew up Christian, but in a false denomination (Seventh-Day Adventist). I was exposed to the bible early on and always had a desire to keep the laws, which is a big reason why I never tried drugs or wear revealing clothes and so on. I’ve never been one to idolize people because I always knew that we were all sinners and no one is perfect. Since I was a teen, I aimed to live with integrity, being honest and taking accountability, and having a heart for others. However, the church blinded me to the true gospel. While they would claim to believe it, saying Jesus died for our sins and we’re saved by faith, they would push the commandments so much, especially Sabbath keeping, and their doctrine claims that Sunday is the mark of the beast. I always had issues with that growing up though. I went to a public school and 99% of other Christians went to school on Sunday, and some were definitely better Christians than me. However, when I would ask them about the law and Sabbath keeping, they would only say that the law was done with, but they couldn’t provide verses to prove their side. In high school, I read the bible through myself, and the new testament was very clear we’re saved by faith…but if we love God, we’ll keep His commandments, right? I wasn’t sure how to balance these two ideas, and it didn’t feel right to break God’s law just because we’re saved. Either way, I got caught up with adult life and after falling into fornication, I ran away from God. I still thought about Him, still read the bible now and then, but my heart was far from Him due to guilt and shame, not feeling good enough.
But after having that wake up call, I wanted to run back to God like the prodigal son and be right with Him. He certainly touched me by showing me how much love He had for me, more than any of the guys who I dated, who just used me and/or had no intentions to marry me. While I said I would be single since teenhood, an accidental kiss made me curious and it left me broken, but God was always there for me, He always loved me more and was patiently waiting for me to come back to Him. I was then hoping to continue where we left off a decade ago, but my sins over the years was convicting me. I tried to brush it off, making excuses, saying it’s small compared to other sins, or that other people do worse….but no, a sin is a sin, and I was worse cause I knew better and still did it. As I started to take responsibility for my actions, I felt strong condemnation and truly realized how deserving I was of hell. I cried in my bed as I realized I couldn’t save myself, but only then did I truly understand Jesus and the cross, and decided to put my faith in Him alone. I couldn’t save myself, I’m not good enough, it was better that I placed my bets on Him….
The next morning, I woke up with only God on my heart and mind. It was like my brain was wiped from all my dirty thoughts, and I didn’t even care to play music all day like I usually did. I also felt this deep spiritual hunger, I was starving! I knew then that I was truly reborn. Since then, I reread the bible and binged a lot of Christian content to correct my false beliefs, and also learn about new things like the rapture, Jesus’s earthly reign, and Israel’s role in Revelation, all things that the SDA church reject. When the singer of my band started reaching out about making a new one, the main reason I was saying ‘no’ was to focus on my faith, but I gave it one more run just for the sake of improving my skills and supporting her dreams. In the process though, I realized how much time and effort it takes learning these songs, and I started analyzing the lyrics more just to see how anti-Christ a lot of them were. Even if they don’t promote another God, they do promote pride and independence, and can be quite depressing in nature since Japanese people don’t really have faith in anything. Thankfully, neither of us had big plans, so we did a lot that summer, but I told God that after the festival, I wouldn’t play guitar again unless for Him. Other opportunities have come my way since then thanks to all I’ve built, but I’ve kept my promise.
Since this blog was built on Japanese music, I wouldn’t confuse search engines by promoting general Christian music, especially when there’s so many platforms already, but my blog would go dead since I wasn’t interested in Japanese music or anime anymore. Not only was I not interested, but I really didn’t care for anything secular as I understood how Satan works in this world, and how subtle he could be when influencing and conditioning us. I did look for Japanese Christian music before this blog existed but didn’t have much luck, but with a new goal and drive to have something to practice, as I really do love Japanese Music Progressions, I dug harder, and thankfully found a gold mine. Through recommendations, reddit, and Facebook groups, I have found over 100 Japanese Christian artists! I also started serving at a church, so I still got to play and write a bit about my experiences. And with new found inspiration, I still continue to release Japanese-Inspired Christian-themed background music. It was also cool getting to be part of a gospel music video! So while i may not be in the anime sphere anymore, it’s been a blessing to still use my newfound talents and provide new resources for those who need them ^_^