I'd like to teach the world to sing(in perfect harmony)

Someone asked me recently about some of my inspirations...

Just off the top of my head, I'd say one of my earliest inspirations would have been Coca-cola's 1971 hit TV advertisement feat. the song, "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony". The words, the melody, the images and the emotional association they all have with a perfect world of harmony had somehow created quite a stir in me. 

Perhaps I was subjected to an environment of disharmony and prejudices at a very early age. "Certain religious followers will go to hell" and "other-colored skin should be avoided" are ideas that I often hear in the backdrop. It is truly not the most fertile condition for a steady foundation in life.

However, these ideas never made sense in my heart(and I've got a darn strong one) so I've always made it a point never to fall for some of these silly beliefs that adults around me at the time had tried to instil into me. I was pretty much indomitable and although I was tiny, I've always been a feisty and vocal one. As far as I can remember I was always questioning everything and arguing my point till I was often physically beaten into silent sobs by my authoritarian aunt. Then the next day it starts all over again.

Following a great many years of beating, I decided to spend most of the time with my head (and my opinions along with it) buried in books. School books and Enid Blyton stories mainly. Enid Blyton had me itching for adventure. I couldn't wait to go off and do the crazy things I read in its stories.

Then came my big break. At 15, I moved back in with my parents whom by now have become complete strangers(they left me with my aunt and grandma from age 6). It wasn't long before I became aware that my parents had a lack of practice in exercising their authority over me. That, on top of the fact that I couldn't quite see how education would serve the world peace had me deciding to finally quit school and get a job and move out at 17.

Soon I was exposed to a world of clubs, gangs, smoking, drinking, greed and lust. I got myself a girlfriend, hop from job to job and spent a lot of time philosophizing with just anyone. At the same time I was trying to stay out of trouble, trying to live in peace with all whom I crossed path with. Witnessing a whole lot of taking and grabbing on a day to day basis kept me continuing my search for the remedy to perfect harmony. The words from the old Coca-cola advertisement trails on.

During this period, I had also tried my hand at songwriting.  I'd figured that putting down my thoughts this way was the only thing that's provided me with relief from a world too noisy to listen, too busy to care. This went on for a bit and at age 21, my world came crumbling down. All at once, my long standing girlfriend of 4 years left me, i lost a job which I've held down comfortably for a while and my family, siblings and friends didn't care for my ramblings about the state of the world anymore.

The idea of harmony persists.

At this point, jobless, friendless with no agenda and with no one's approval to seek anymore.. I was totally free to see the world unadulterated. I picked up my guitar, took to the streets of Northbridge. It was then that I eventually put one and one together and I decided that I best be a harmony seeker and musical storyteller. And thus began my love affair with harmonic tones and the written word.

It's probably a paradox that I've chosen to take on the path that life has chosen for me. But here I am with a bit of good out of life and a bit of bad - and it all serves to continue inspiring me to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony!

- Bobz