I was named after the song "Misty" by Johnny Mathis. I wonder if my mother knew it would encourage me to become a musician. Growing up on the west side of Detroit, Ive' always heard and searched for eclectic sounds. Whether it was cars bunking horns, mufflers scraping the ground, grandma's calling their kids in for supper, or us playing and recreating hand games. Sometimes it would be the sounds my mother made while cooking and the clattering of dishes when she washed them.

I didn’t...