“I revive myself by playing piano when I’m down,” 18-year-old biology major Thankgod Uzoagu said.
Uzoagu has spent the past year teaching himself to play the piano using videos on YouTube. On April 28, he fired up the piano in the cafeteria with a rendition of the 1980s rock ballad “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses.
He said that playing on his keyboard at home just wasn’t the same as banging one out on a piano.
Political science major Joaquin Vasquez joined Uzoagu at the piano after recognizing him from class.
Vasquez, who plays guitar, expressed an appreciation for Uzoagu’s self-taught skills.
When asked about his unusual first name, Uzoagu said, “It’s a long story.”
When further pressed, he gave the short version. After six years of trying, his parents were so overjoyed by his birth they exclaimed, “Thank God!” and that expression of joy became his name.
