Born in the East Village, Samir Sehkar had an upbringing like most other city dwelling kids. He had a group of friends that would get into trouble on occasion, but, to his friends, Sam, wasn't much of a risk taker. Things came naturally to him, and much to the chagrin of his peers, he didn't fail at much. It wasn't something he ever allowed himself to do. From a young age, he picked up random instruments and played in the school band - preferring drums which gave his parents, and neighbors numerous headaches that led to arguments in the hallway, and eventually led to an electric drum kit that just didn't feel the same. Once his family moved to a more suburban area of Queens where they had their own space, Sam was able to play drums again like he had years earlier: noisily. Piano and bass guitar also came easily to him, as did composing his own music and learning by watching or hearing music elsewhere due to his vivid memory. In high school, instead of sports, he played in a few different bands among his groups of friends. He was popular among the musician and theater kids.
Growing up, his best friend had been his older sister, Shivani, who had been gifted in her own ways. She graduated high school two years before Sam and her move to Texas was a lot more difficult for Sam than it had been for her. They kept in almost constant communication after she moved with weeks to spare before her first semester started. After two days of radio silence, Sam's family had recieved what would be the most devastating news of their lives and the world shattered to pieces. Shivani had been involved in a fatal swimming accident and suddenly their family was flying to a state they'd never ventured to, to bring back the body of his sister who was gone too soon. Grief was overwhelming, and Sam poured himself into -
With scholarships lined up into prestigious music schools, Sam had made more than a handful of rivals from around the city, all competing for a spot at an exclusive spot. Ultimately, Sam had his sights set on any number of highly rated conservatories but after a string of rejections that dealt blow after blow to his arrogantly confident self, he wasn't so sure anymore. When the letter arrived from San Francisco after his parents flew out with him for a live audition for percussion, Sam almost didn't want to open the letter. For five agonizing hours, he stared down the envelope on the dining room table before tearing into it with fear and fury, reading through the words over and over again just to make sure this hadn't been a fever dream. He'd been accepted. One of two hundred and seventy eight people.
His entire life had been uprooted, and his fear of being alone with unattended to grief, worried him. He faltered in his studies at first and garnered lectures from his teachers. Missing his sister left him reckless yet determined for greatness. He alienated a lot of his peers during this time, and even sabotaged a string of relationships. Sam was tolerated at best, when back in New York he was celebrated and highly regarded among his friends and peers at school. He was admired, which was something he reveled in, but true friends were hard to come by. Fate would humble him, though, as he suffered through his own accident in the form of a late night, bad lighting, a crosswalk, and a driver that wasn't paying any attention. For Sam, he was able to walk away from his life, but after a weeks' long stint in a Bay Area hospital, highly trained surgeons were not able to correct the extensive nerve damage in his hands. A crushing reality as his musical career had come to a screeching halt.
Months of physical therapy and counseling followed. Sam withdrew from the school and lost his way for quite some time. His anger overshadowed his desire to do anything remotely productive with his life. After some time spent on self reflection, Sam decided to shift his musicial career into something adjacent, instead studying sound and audio engineering. He still plays music casually, but his hand pain sometimes makes it impossible to get through a jam session with friends. He does, however, work a steady job at The Fillmore as he tries to tamper down his jealousy of musicians getting to live the life he deserved.