The world lost a brilliant musician yesterday. Eddie Van Halen’s fiery, virtuosic musicianship reached the souls of countless people; his tireless and innovative spirit constantly sought new ways to push musical boundaries, often out of necessity, but resulted in experimentation that has left quite a mark in the history of rock and roll. Besides his work, what really hits home for me is his experience growing up as a child of immigrants, moving to America with his bi-racial parents and brother with just a piano and the hope of something better. Some twenty-plus years ago, my own mother embarked on a similar journey across the ocean with just $100 to her name. Previously a teacher at the collegiate level, she worked various odd jobs permissible under her circumstances to support her young family, all while simultaneously pursuing a higher education degree. While there were certainly bumps in the road along the way, my parents’ work ethic and optimism in the land of opportunities never fail to inspire me. Their story, like that of Eddie Van Halen’s family and many other immigrants, is one that reflects the core American value in which I believe: a nation built on the strength of hard work, diversity, and an all-embracing kindness.
Talking about Van Halen’s journey from a persistent local band to rock stardom, Eddie Van Halen stressed the importance of self-belief, resilience, and the tenacity to simply not take “no” for an answer. As a musician navigating the ever-changing but always delicate ecosystem of a musical career, it’s always comforting to hear from the masters to just “keep on going.” Clichés, after all, are built on grains of truth: make the sky your limit, and if you fall short, you’ll land somewhere awesome anyway.