MAN BORN BLIND PURSUING CAREER IN COUNTRY MUSIC AFTER TEACHING HIMSELF TO PLAY SIX INSTRUMENTS BUY EAR

PEOPLE

 

Man, Born Blind, Is Pursuing a Career in Country Music After Teaching Himself How to Play 6 Instruments by Ear

By Toria Sheffield  Published on August 23, 2026 09:30PM EDT

 

A blind musician who taught himself to play six instruments entirely by ear says music has given him the confidence to keep pushing beyond his own doubts.

 

Angel Paez, of Charlotte, N.C., first became fascinated by music as a young child while attending church, according to Aging Untold.

 

“I remember listening to all those different instruments and being so curious as to what they looked like, what they felt like, and I wanted to know how to play,” Paez, who was born blind, told the outlet.

 

“It made me feel like I could never get enough of it,” he recalled. “Like something so cool and so different and new that made me want more out of that.”

 

Paez eventually began figuring out how to play instruments on his own, starting with piano before moving on to accordion and violin. Over time, he taught himself six instruments without formal instruction, relying on what he heard.

 

His family soon realized he had extraordinary abilities.

 

“They entered me into my first radio contest,” Paez said. “It was a Spanish radio station here in town, and that was kind of my first real motivation to play and get good enough to be on stage.”

 

Paez ultimately won the competition, and later had the opportunity to perform at the White House.

 

“That, more than anything, gave me the spark, if there ever was one, to pursue the music,” he said.

 

His work has since earned additional recognition. Paez has twice been nominated by the Carolina Country Music Awards for both Musician of the Year and Best Fiddler of the Year.

 

For Paez, however, his long-term goal is not necessarily fame.

 

“My dream is to just be able to make a living out of it,” he told the outlet. “I know I’m not going to get rich, but I just want to have enough to take my family out to dinner every now and then and then have enough to be able to call my connections and say, ‘Hey, let’s go do this project.’ ”

 

Paez said he continues to challenge himself, even when self-doubt creeps in.

 

“I’m pretty shy by nature, and I think that’s what holds me back sometimes,” Paez explained.

 

“A lot of times when I encounter that success, whether that be music or just life in general, it feels good,” he added. “It feels like I can literally go out and do anything.”

GROOM CALLS OFF WEDDING AFTER DISCOVERING HE AND BRIDE ARE FINANCIALLY INCOMPATIBLE

PEOPLE

 

Bride-to-Be Demands Fiancé Splurge on $35K Wedding Ceremony. What He Uncovers Has Him Calling Off the Wedding

By Ashley Vega  Published on December 15, 2025 04:30AM EST

 

A man sought advice from the Reddit community after calling off his wedding due to growing concerns about finances and long-term compatibility with his fiancée.

 

What began as routine wedding planning ultimately led him to question whether their values were aligned enough to build a future together.

 

The 35-year-old explained that he lived simply, owned a paid-off home and did well at his sales job. “I’m a simple guy and live very frugally,” he shared, adding that he had always been intentional about saving and planning ahead.

 

Tension first surfaced when the couple met with a wedding planner, and he realized his fiancée already had expensive expectations in mind. “In all the whole thing would cost about 35k and I personally think it’s ridiculous to spend that amount on a wedding,” he wrote, noting she earned barely more than that in a year.

 

After feeling blindsided, he suggested they sit down to review their finances, believing transparency was important before marriage. During that conversation, he was stunned to learn she had no savings and carried significant credit card debt while only making minimum payments.

 

He contrasted that with his own approach, explaining that his savings were meant to provide security and independence. “I have it so that I can quit my job at any point and be able to maintain my lifestyle for at least 6 months without changing anything,” he said.

 

His fiancée, however, argued that spending the money on a wedding would not affect him. “She pointed out that it wouldn’t change anything for me if I take the 35k out of my savings to pay for the wedding,” he recalled, a comment that made him increasingly uneasy.

 

The situation escalated when she learned he had been helping his brother by covering a $1,700 monthly mortgage payment. “My brother paid for most of my college and recently went into a ton of debt because his daughter had a serious surgery,” he explained.

 

He added that the support was intentional and temporary, describing it as a meaningful gift. “Covering his mortgage for two years was my birthday gift to him two years ago while they got back on their feet,” he wrote.

 

“She demanded that I stop helping my brother,” he said, noting that this demand crossed a line for him.

 

At that point, he decided the relationship could not continue. “Between the crazy wedding cost and asking me to not help my brother, she and I were not compatible,” he concluded.

 

Despite pressure from his mother and sister to find compromise, he stood by his choice. “I feel like financial compatibility is extremely important,” he wrote, adding that he did not believe they valued money and family in the same way.

 

Commenters overwhelmingly supported his decision, assuring him he was not at fault.

 

"You two are not compatible. You were right to call off the wedding," one user said simply.

 

"You are clearly not on the same page financially," another echoed. "Honestly I think the finance and goals conversation should have happened before getting engaged but at least you know now."