“My dad grew up playing the bass—just amateur bands, nothing professional, but he has an ear for music. He knows what’s wrong, what’s right, but he doesn’t know why. He understands music in an interesting way.

He got me into a conservatory for kids in San Pedro Sula [Honduras]. You had to audition. I remember that day, going in early morning. It wasn’t tough. It was just like ‘Okay, let’s see if you can carry a tune and...