And he lives in Nashville. Went there recently to reconnect and discovered a whole new world of possibilities. My cousin Bruce started playing later in life, well into career and family. Neck deep in “no bandwidth: too much to do, how can I possibly set aside :30 minutes a day to play?” territory. And yet he committed. Now ten years on he can play, able to take requests from the crowd and hold the room with his guitar for the family sing-along (one of the highlights of the weekend btw).
I’m inspired. I’ve always wanted to play guitar. In fact when people ask me what I would do in another life I always come back with “lead singer in a rock and roll band.” When I was a kid I tried the recorder, drums, trumpet, piano and the guitar a number of times. Once my junior high school music teacher, Mr. Johnson, bribed me to try the oboe. Seriously? The oboe? The thing has reeds. In the end I sang second tenor in a choir, a pretty intense choir, but a choir non-the-less. Notably not the lead singer in a rock and roll band.
So now, a few weeks post Music City, “I have blisters on my fingers” (Beatles, Helter Skelter) and music running through my veins. I set up a little area with a stool and music stand: my version of a Nashville music room. Bought new guitar strings and one of those cool guitar stands that keeps my guitar on display at all times. Every time I walk by she calls me to come out to play. Yes, to me the guitar takes on the feminine, nameless thus far, but quickly becoming a constant companion. Desire runs deep.
I can play three cords, strum on beat and sing a butchered version of Ripple all thanks to the New York Guitar School’s Intro book. Turns out you only need a few chords and a whole world of song opens up to you. Its nothing fancy, but its enough to get by, enough to make me smile, maybe enough to someday play along in a backyard sing-along. Mostly it’s just enough to stoke the dreams of a soon to be lead singer in a rock in roll band.
Thanks Bruce, now, I gotta go, time to grab my six string and head off to Terrapin Station.
Rock…onward->
One Response to My cousin has a music room
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Glad to hear (read) this. And I believe you’re right about the stand. In fact, I actually think it’s the most important part. It’s hard to hear the instrument calling to you through all that fake fur in the case.