Dreams Do Come True With ISINA
A few months ago, Alexey submitted an amazing audition video to ISINA. We also learned that the guitar he played so beautifully wasn’t his own.
Alexey lives near Chernobyl, Ukraine where opportunities are limited and financial situations are bleak. While Alexey had a heavy love for music, his own financial situation didn't seem to help propel his dream. In fact, one of his goals was just to have his own guitar. While many people may think obtaining their own guitar sounds like a simple endeavor, for Alexey it could likely take a lifetime to save up the funds for such a luxury. In the meantime, Alexey would borrow a guitar from his neighbor whenever he had the chance.
When ISINA heard about Alexey’s story, they decided to surprise him with something very special. As explained by Frank Gambale, “Some people go to a lot of lengths to express their art. This kid … didn’t even have his own guitar. He borrowed one from his neighbor so that he could submit.”
Gambale also tells his own story about when he was growing up in Australia. He knew a man who owned an import record store. This man introduced Gambale to all kinds of music. He said he heard Gambale play around town and told him to take the records, listen to them, and only if he liked them he could buy them. This provided Gambale with the means to sample so many different genres and artists, at a time when funds were scarce. Frank claims that this man was a huge influence on his career and his love of music.
At ISINA, our hope is to help inspire much in that same way. So to help Alexey discover his dream, ISINA decided to buy Alexey a guitar as a gift to encourage him to keep on working toward his dream.
When the guitar arrives in Chernobyl, Alexey also records a video so ISINA can see him open it. He carefully opens the taped up box, and sees the guitar case. “What an amazing case,” Alexey says. He slowly opened the case, revealing his gift. He caresses it and gently lifts it out of the case. He admires it for a moment before testing it out and claiming “This guitar is amazing!”
If you follow your dreams, dreams can come true with ISINA
