article_snippet.sent: When I started playing music it really gave me a sense of identity, something that I belonged to, something that I was good at, something that people would watch me do and say, "Oh wow, that's really cool or CNN Hero Chad Bernstein's really good at that.
article_snippet.sent: I think in that way music really gave me an anchor in my social experience.
article_snippet.sent: As professional musicians, most of us know what kind of power music has in terms of dealing with the things that are going on in your life.  
article_snippet.sent: I've built my life on how important the feeling I get from playing music is.
article_snippet.sent: I was really fortunate to have the opportunities that I did to learn music.
article_snippet.sent: And part of me feels very responsible to provide those opportunities for other people, because there were people along the way in my path and my musical journey that helped me.
article_snippet.sent: I know music has changed my life in a really dramatic way.