Tapiwa Kudakwashe Mugadza (aka “Taps”) was born on April 1, 1988. At two days old, Taps was left on the front steps of Harare Children’s Home in Harare, Zimbabwe. Over the next several years, one child in an orphanage of many, he became so frightened that only a few actually ever heard him speak. At nine years old, he then was moved to St. Joseph’s House for Boys where he continued in his silence. This silence was so deafening that people assumed that he was mute. At 15, realizing his strong love for the music, he finally found his voice. Each night, Taps would climb through a second story window to borrow a four-string guitar and taught himself to play.

Like all boys who reach the age of eighteen, Taps was forced to leave. Alone, he was told that he had to leave immediately that very day.

Homeless, with nowhere to go, no one to turn to for help, and no personal connections, he volunteered to dig wells in the impoverished regions of Zimbabwe. After two years of volunteering, the head of the organization asked Taps a question which propelled him to his defining moment. “What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” Taps, searching for the courage to speak his truth, answered, “I would love to study music.” With that, a volunteer from California offered for Taps to travel back with him to his home where he could pursue his dream.