BENAULIM: As the legendary Miles Davis once said, “It’s not the notes you play; it’s the notes you don’t play.” This philosophy seems to resonate deeply with Nash Fernandes, a 20-year-old guitar prodigy hailing from the lively village of Benaulim, known for churning out stellar musicians. Young Nash is not just a guitar-player and teacher but is now navigating the twists and turns of the music world as the lead guitarist for versatile cover band ‘Altitude’ and playing mentor to aspiring musicians of all ages.
Juggling his musical journey with an engineering diploma, Nash isn’t your run-of-the-mill artist. He adjusts to the tunes of his band, caters to his students’ musical cravings and effortlessly bends time to fit it all in. Age is no hurdle for Nash; he teaches students much older than himself.
Nash’s fingers, moving at lightning speed, first danced on the guitar strings at the tender age of three years. “My dad made me what I am today,” Nash says, giving props to his father Richard Fernandes, a former guitarist who spotted his toddler’s talent early. What started out as 30-minute daily practice sessions enforced by dad, has morphed into epic two-hour jam sessions. And it’s not just about playing covers; Nash loves composing new tunes and dropping them on YouTube.
At age nine, Nash took his guitar game up a notch, enrolling in classes with renowned musician and teacher Marwino Da Costa. A weekly pilgrimage to Marwino’s classes in Curtorim opened a whole new musical universe for Nash. Then came Mila Fernandes, his dad’s friend from Colva, who unlocked the magic of soloing and scales, helping him expand his musical horizons further. His friend Desmond Fernandes, keyboardist, played a crucial role in his musical career too.
Life threw Nash a plot twist at age 12, when he was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, Guillain-Barré Syndrome. “Thank heavens my parents caught it in time,” Nash says.
Nash fought back, but spent over a year on the side-lines, bed-ridden, his fingers numb and his body wasting away, as his disease rendered him immobile from the neck down. “It’s a disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own nerve endings, causing paralysis. If left untreated, the lungs become paralysed eventually, causing death,” he explained.
Nash began receiving treatment, and with rigorous physiotherapy, family support, and his dad playing the role of exercise drill sergeant, Nash made a full recovery. His fingers, once silent, were making music again, one finger at a time- he had to re-form his guitar muscle memory again from scratch – a feat of dedication and determination for a child of 12. “My family left no stone unturned to help me recover and get back to school and to my guitar, again. My dad used to take breaks from work and come home thrice during the day, to help me with my exercises to regain use of my limbs,” he recollects, emotional for a second.
The mischievous youngster bounces back quickly, talking about how he is now teaching himself to play the keyboard.
His idol? Guitarist Grayston Vaz from the band ‘A26’. “I hope to share the stage with him someday,” he says, wistfully. Between band gigs, classes, church performances with his father and sister, and his own practice, Nash’s family plays a crucial role helping him juggle it all. According to him, they’re the unsung heroes.
His students are all praises for his teaching methods- like Keith Fernandes and his 16-year-old daughter, who are both his students. “Learning guitar was on my bucket list, but I lost interest after I had a bad experience with my old guitar teacher. Nash has been a game-changer- super flexible, just what I needed with a hectic job. We got stuck while learning Hotel California, and Nash understood, but made sure we completed it another day,” says Keith, a 46-year-old banker.
He continues “I have recommended him to many people and my daughter is also his student.” Another student chimes in, “Nash makes our jam sessions so much fun, with unexpected tricks and riffs. But he’s no pushover, he can also be quite strict. No practice, no new song. Fair deal!”
Rock music is Nash’s first love, but he’s game to perform any genre. Nash dreams big, eyeing the international stage. He believes music has no age restrictions, and he’s out to prove that he’s not just a guitarist but a conductor of melodies, orchestrating a symphony of passion, dedication, and resilience.
