I knew from a very young age, music wasn’t just something I liked; it was a calling. And today, I’m pretty sure that calling came from God, who gave me the talent, the ear, the sensitivity, and all the opportunities I needed to grow, even when everything seemed to be against me.

I started music school when i was a kid. Initially, I focused on playing the cuatro a traditional Venezuelan instrument and the recorder. A few months in, I was selected for the piano class. That news filled me with joy, but it also revealed a difficult truth: we didn’t have a piano at home, and there was no way we could afford one. Buying a keyboard would’ve been the most logical option, but even that was far beyond our possibilities.

Trying to help, my dad, Ramiro Alastre, went to some acquaintances who had a keyboard in their home. It was more of a decorative piece than a real instrument. He asked if I could come by just to practice my lessons but their answer was a firm no: “That equipment isn’t a toy,” they said. Those words didn’t discourage my Dad instead, they sparked something even more creative.

Not long after, he showed up at home with a large cardboard box. On the outside, it clearly displayed the brand “MAMi,” a popular diaper company at the time. He meticulously adhered a blank sheet of white paper and sketched the entire the full layout of a piano; key by key. That drawing, made with love, precision, and faith, became my first instrument. I dedicated myself to practicing it daily. It didn’t make a sound, but my imagination did and every note I visualized felt as real to me as if it were coming from a grand piano.

I took my lessons seriously and presented them in class to my teachers, Marta Liévano and Mary Martha Pazos. One day, Mary Martha ran into my father and enthusiastically shared how impressed she was with my progress, calling me one of her top students. When my dad told her I had been practicing on a cardboard piano, she was speechless. She couldn’t believe someone could reach that level without a real instrument.

But I know how it was possible: it was grace. God’s grace, working through my parents’ love, the gifts He placed in me, and a purpose-fueled imagination.

Today, I’ve had the blessing of playing on international stages and collaborating with renowned artists. And I remain convinced that the cardboard piano wasn’t just the beginning of my musical training it was a physical expression of my calling. It was early proof that when there is faith, purpose, and creativity, no limitation is final.

This story isn’t just about music. It’s about how God can use the simplest things a box, a pencil, a sheet of paper to begin a powerful work in someone who’s willing. And it’s also a tribute to those like my father, who face challenges with love and vision.

Thank you for reading.
This memory is part of my story, but it’s also meant to inspire those who are just beginning theirs.
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