Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
Jeshurun Vincent is a 35-year-old travelling musician who hails from Kajang, Malaysia.
Jeshurun had humble beginnings, coming from a family of six, with three brothers (one of whom had passed away at the age of 19) and his father as the sole breadwinner. He admits that they had been through a lot when they were younger.
Now, Jeshurun has travelled and played music in 123 countries – even performing at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year! In 2017, Jeshurun launched “Into The Potter’s Hands”, his first book while also having travelled to 79 countries at the time!
He is currently working on his second book which will be coming out this year as he continues to travel.
Here is his story!
I was struggling to play the recorder back when I was 10!
At an early age, I must admit that I was not into music.
However, one song touched my heart and slowly with the help of Almighty, I was able to play that song and that’s how I started getting into music
My musical journey was interesting. From overnight jamming, bands, hours of practice and meeting a lot of other musicians, I began going deep into guitars, especially to learn and improvise more.
My first performance was in 2002, when I was 15, at a student program where I played the bass.
[source: Jeshurun Vincent on Instagram]
I didn’t have an electric bass or electric guitar at that point, but I learned more using an acoustic guitar and borrowed other people’s instruments until I was able to buy my first electric guitar at the age of 17.
Losing My Hearing Was A Challenge, But Not A Stopping Point
At the age of 19, I lost my left-side hearing, which changed my life. By chance, I was affected by sudden hearing loss, and I was depressed as a result of those changes. I found it hard as I felt no one could understand my situation.
In January 2014, I lost my brother in a road accident, which also changed my life.
At a certain point, I realised my depression would only stay if I continued to feed it. So, I learned to use music as one of my tools to overcome depression, and soon I realised there could be many people like me who are also seeking help.
[source: Jeshurun Vincent on Instagram]
Slowly In August 2014, I took the first step of my journey to becoming a travelling musician. I headed to Myanmar to just visit some people, villages, and organisations to share my story, hoping it would benefit someone there.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine myself going on to 123 nations.
No Harm In Trying – So I Tried
Back in August, I was heading to West Africa for a music tour there.
I had stopped in Qatar, and through the embassy program, I met another Malaysian, Jerry, who is a kind soul. He told me about this program and suggested that I apply for it. I created a proposal and sent it, thinking that though it is impossible, I should just give it a try.
So, weeks passed by, and I thought my application was not selected since the competition date was so close.
However, I followed up to see if there were any outcomes, and finally, I received the invitation to join the Fifa World Cup Cultural Activation Program.
[source: Jeshurun Vincent on Instagram]
Continuing To Find Ways To Travel & Perform Overseas!
It works in many ways. Since I am sharing my story to bring hope to people’s lives, I do reach out randomly to the nation that I have planned to travel to, telling them why I am there, and that’s when the doors open.
There were also many instances when I only had the opportunity once I arrived in those countries. So, all in all, I learned to be open and embrace it as a journey
Why I Bring Our “Jalur Gemilang” To Other Nations
I am proud to be Malaysian, and I always tell people that it’s a blessing to be Malaysian.
I love to share with people about Malaysia, the culture, the people, and many other things about our nation in all my talks and journeys.
The flag helps a lot to connect with people, as there are nations where they never hear much about Malaysia, and it helps to promote us over there.
[source: Jeshurun Vincent on Instagram]
Supporters & That True Malaysian Spirit
Both Malaysians and non-Malaysians support my journey in many ways. Initially, I had much non-Malaysian support, as they were touched by the journey of bringing hope to their nations. However, in the last few years, since Malaysians learned about my journey, I’ve received a lot of support from them.
There was a very touching moment for me during my performance at the cultural activation program. For instance, there was a Malay family that stopped by to talk with me because of the flag, and we were talking as though we knew each other for a very long time already.
[source: Jeshurun Vincent on Instagram]
That small kindness touched me, and I felt it to be that true Malaysian spirit.
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