It all began in year 7 at school with a live DVD of Ozzy Osbourne. The moment I saw his guitarist Zakk Wylde working the strings, I knew right away that I wanted to be able to do that too! I already had my first collector’s item when I was only 13 years old!

A good friend who worked at the local music store and I came up with a plan to order a professional guitar. I had no intention of buying it, I just wanted to see what it felt like to hold it. But on the day the guitar arrived, my friend wasn’t around. So another employee called me at home and my mother answered the phone. She was totally surprised to find out her son had ordered a guitar like that! In the end, she bought it for me – on the condition that I help out in the afternoons at a local garage to pay for the guitar, which cost quite a bit. I worked there twice a week for two years.

You could say that the guitars and the way they are hung here are the product of my journey so far. There’s an experience, a memory, an encounter behind every single one… they are more than just instruments to me. In fact, they are like a collection of milestones in a photo album.

My passion for guitars is closely linked to a key situation in my life. Seven years ago, I was in a car crash, and I suffered severe injuries to my body and my head. I was even in a coma for a while. My girlfriend at the time put headphones on me and played me Zakk Wylde’s music over and over again. It was the music that was playing when I regained consciousness, and it also accompanied me through my difficult recovery period. His music touches me somewhere deep within. When I discovered one of his guitars on eBay, I knew right away that I had to have it! I told the guy who was selling it my story and how it connected me to the music of Zakk Wylde. And then something amazing happened. It turned out he was the manager of Zakk Wylde’s upcoming European tour! He was so touched that he invited me to a meet and greet with my idol, and after the concert he gave me a signed guitar.

That you should never, ever give up following your dreams. I had to relearn everything from scratch after my accident: walking, speaking, eating. Everything. It was a really hard time for me, a time full of setbacks and frustration. The man in charge of my re-integration into the job market told me that I shouldn’t get my hopes up. ‘Choose an easy path to follow, Mr Jäggi,’ he said. But that was never an option for me. I wanted to work again and live my life independently, the way I wanted. I fought for that because I was convinced that I ultimately knew what was best for me.

When I look back today, I can say in all honesty, ‘I really have thrown off my chains. And I feel closer to my true self than ever before. I’m authentic.’

More than anything else, I would say, live your dreams – today and every day. Time waits for no one. So follow your dreams. Starting right now!

In total, I already have 25 (laughs). But there’s still a lot more room in my musical photo album.