An Amazing and Creepy Coincidence

Guitarists Peppino Dagostino, Adam Rafferty, Pepe Romero and Carlos Barbosa-Lima

When I attended the High School for the Humanities in NYC I was in the graduating class of 1986.

At the time I was a 17 year old aspiring classical guitarist, practicing hard for my first year of college in the conservatory.

A few of my high school teachers were “guitar aficionados” and one in particular, “Mr. S”, encouraged me very much. I’ll never forget when he said “You’ll be the Pepe Romero of the year 2000!” This was incomprehensible to me.

I have not spoken to Mr. S since high school. That’s approximately 27 years of zero contact – whatsoever. Yet this boost that he once offered stuck with me.

Pepe Romero is one of the greatest classical guitarists of all time. He was one of my favorite classical guitar heroes…I had a technique book of his from which I worked on the exercises daily, and I collected his LP’s.

Pepe was a reference point for absolute artistic greatness for me and a source of inspiration during high school.

Fast forward to 2013. This year I was invited to play at the Hersbruck Guitar Festival in Germany (which I am coming home from now) – and to my shock about 2 months ago, I saw on the festival website that Pepe Romero was on the lineup as well.

What a thrill to have a milestone like this…to play on the same festival and stage as the Maestro himself. I performed on Aug 21, and his concert was Aug 22.

On August 22nd I finally got to meet Pepe for the first time and thank him personally for his music. After the concert the players and organizers shared a meal and a good German brew. What a delight!

I thought this entire week about all the people who have suported and encouraged me, and I especially reflected of Mr. S’s kind words to me as a young guy. This support got me where I am today by planting positive seeds in my mind.

(Drum Roll Here…)

As I came back to my dorm room after this wonderful night with Pepe Romero, Carlos Barbosa Lima, Peppino Dagostino and the whole crew, I fired up my Macbook and noticed I had some new Youtube comments.

And..from literally out of the blue…yes, on the same day – within minutes of saying goodnight to Pepe, I had a wonderful, supportive Youtube comment from Mr S – to whom I have not spoken to in 27 years.

Mr. S had no idea about the concert, his comment was simply a thumbs up on a video.

I got chills.

Just goes to show…we are all inter-connected in wonderful an cosmic ways that we can’t even begin to understand with our rational minds.

You may now enjoy your goosebumps…welcome to the Matrix!