From one path of fading to another path of fading. What is fading? What is the difference? And what was the change that occurred in Josiah's life?
Josiah Gonyo is a self-taught fingerstyle guitarist whose guitar journey and playing style is one of the most unique. He didn’t start playing the guitar until the age of 16, and when he did it was nothing but a mental exercise for him. At that time, the goal of his life was to become emotionless and to feel nothing, to fade into nonexistence. And this became the way he played the guitar, without feeling.
When he read the Bible, the story of Jesus Christ dying on the cross and rising from the dead, his life changed. In believing that Christ died on the cross for his sins and that Jesus rose again conquering death, confessing Jesus as Lord and Saviour of his life, the goal of his life changed. It was no longer to fade into nothingness, but to exult and glorify Christ in all regards and all ways.
His purpose is now to fade in order that Christ may be seen first in his life. This change also gave his music a purpose.
Guitar became more than a mental exercise; it became an instrument to glorify God. As an artist, Josiah’s goal is to fade so that Christ would be exulted through his life and his guitar playing.
"Music is best experienced when the music itself transcends the artist and the artist fades into the background. In the same way, life is best experienced when God transcends our lives and we fade into the background."
Josiah Gonyo
