Max was such a special student to me because he was such an overcomer of life’s obstacles and every challenge, he met head on with determination and creative passion. He was exemplary in his singing and we often chatted about how unique it was for someone so young to have such a great powerful bass voice and yet his range was amazing.
Max’s (on the spot) improvisations always stunned me because by doing so he made each song his own. He approached his music with such commitment, outstanding focus and enthusiasm. I loved his drive to go beyond his comfort zone. One such special moment was a couple months ago. He was singing ‘Feeling Good’ by Michael Buble and I said ‘Max stand up with your guitar,’ and when he did he sang out with such confidence and strength he cried afterwards because it had been such a breakthrough to push through his comfort zone of sitting. I was so stirred by his reaction that this amazing student would constantly look his fears in the face and work hard to move beyond them. That night he texted me and said he had stood for the first time at Open Mic and it made him feel so happy that he had conquered that step. This, plus his kind compassionate nature and positivity are qualities I hope to keep cultivating in my other students so his memory and legacy lives on. It was such a shock when this happened. Everything Max taught me about being true to himself and how he lived his life will stay with me always. Sadly, not every student has the best circumstances. Max always said he was close to his parents; he spoke about family holidays with a great fondness and I always thought this was such a beautiful thing to know that he has such a wonderful loving family. He was a privilege to teach and it was a great privilege to have known him. I am sending his friends and family all my prayers love and support for the weeks and months ahead.

Roxanne Rose