It’s late at night as Aidan Fang, now a senior at Lynbrook High School, gently strums away at his guitar, his hands subconscious gliding to Dmaj7; next Am7; and next Gmaj7 and Bbmaj7… Playing one of his favorite songs to date, “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar, he hums and sings along as it all pieces together in his bedroom, a scene so warming and nostalgic…it’s… hypnotizing…
Though it’s now one of his favorite leisure activities, playing the guitar was only a very recent discovery. Aidan has been playing for a half a year, and though school and extracurriculars has made it harder for him to stay consistent with the instrument, it’s an activity he likes because it’s both “relaxing” and “satisfying”.
“A big part of it too is that, after you learn to play a song, it’s very fulfilling,” Aidan said. “It’s rewarding, and you just can’t help but feel proud — like, ‘I did that.’ And it motivates me to keep playing.”
He started playing guitar when a friend recommended him to try out the instrument. And to that, he said “why not,” given that there was already a rusting guitar sitting in his living room his brother had bought a few years back. To this day, Aidan continues to play the instrument.
Separately, just like how his friend urged him to play the guitar, his mom fueled his cooking interests by asking him to help out occasionally. But there’s more to it than just the process that he likes — you have to forget about failure.
“I invited some friends over, and then I made a curry dish with a very failed Chicken Katsu — the skin was just… not what I wanted it to be,” Aidan said. “But it wasn’t a big deal. Everytime I finish a dish, that sense of accomplishment and satisfaction overpowers any regrets I have about the dish.”
One teacher he really looks up to is Mrs. Megan Miller, his culinary arts teacher at school. Aidan says that she’s been a great role model to him as she’s very “down to earth” and has helped answer his questions about culinary school, which Mrs. Miller attended herself.
But whether it’s guitar or cooking, when someone asks you to try out something new next time, go for it. Who knows what might find… a new passion, career, or maybe a life-changing hobby.
More on Aidan:
Curious about his top tens? Well, here are some of them!
Aidan’s top 10 songs to play on the guitar:
- Count on Me – Bruno Mars
- 如果可以 – WeiBird
- Before You Go – Lewis Capaldi
- Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
- Blue – yung kai
- Glue song – beebadoobee
- Best Part – Daniel Caesar
- Fight or Flight – Conan Gray
- comethru – Jeremy Zucker
- Until I Found You – Stephen Sanzhez
Aidan’s top 10 dishes to cook:
- japanese curry rice
- japanese omelette (tamagoyaki)
- chicken katsu
- salty rice balls (鹹湯圓)
- pan-seared steak
- artisan bread
- breakfast potatoes
- cheeseburger
- stir-fried chicken
- brownies
Teens of Bay Area 
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