In numerous posts, I’ve recounted how my older brother, Sahil, shaped my love for music. Growing up with a four-year age difference, I always wanted to be like him. He wore his overalls with one strap buckled in place, the other hanging lazily. So I did the same. The very first instrument he learned to play was the flute, so that was what I chose to learn in elementary school. I couldn’t play a single note. He watched Pokemon on the weekends, with me faithfully by his side. He signed up for baseball, so I signed up for softball. That only lasted up until I got hit square in the face with the ball. After that, any time it would come near me, I would cower in fear, providing absolutely zero support for my team. Most of the time I wasn’t quite as successful at these activities as he was, and looking back at it, I’m not sure just how good he was at them. But in my eyes, he mastered every single thing he tried. It was impossible for him to fail. And even if I fell short in comparison to him, he always encouraged me. He knew what I needed to hear so that I wouldn’t give up. That pattern has continued into our adult lives, even if he isn’t quite as vocal. We both fell in love with music. I drew inspiration from his passion, talent, and diligence, and I wanted to show him that I was capable of it as well. After a few years, I started to feel those same sentiments, no longer feeding off his love for the arts to impress him as it grew organically within me. We grew older and fell out of touch through our teenage years, reconnecting and drifting apart incessantly as the exhausting cycle of life ensures. However, our sibling bond never faltered. I always knew that he would be in my corner, no matter what I chose to do. So today, on his 29th birthday, this post is dedicated to my best friend and incredible brother, Sahil. Thank you for exposing me to so much incredible music.