I don't know if this is the right place for this post, if it isn't apologies in advance. I thought it might be interesting to hear (read) the different stories on how we got started.

I was 6 (or 7) in the Junior choir of our church. My parents made me go even though I hated it at first. There was this old piano and I used to plonk on it to while the time away before I was picked up. I remember hearing "Fill up my senses" by John Denver somewhere and it stuck in my head. I was playing it with both hands before I knew I was playing it. Then I learnt some of the hymns that I had liked.

I didn't realize I was playing music until one of the church organists found me playing. Apparently that piano was off limits but she didn't care and I heard she stood there for about 15 minutes just watching me play. She corrected some mistakes and helped me with some fingering but never tried to teach me theory, which I'm grateful for. If I was forced to learn music theory at that age, I think I would have quit. I wanted to play what I heard.

My dad had an old classical Palmer guitar that I released from its misery from his closet and started to play that. I was playing steelpan, piano and organ in church before I was 10, guitar at around 15, no formal training, but the training I got from my older peers was invaluable.

Play what you like, but play it right - whats your story?