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Old 02-01-2012, 08:16 PM
TheAdventure TheAdventure is offline
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Default New Years Resolution

Funny I was reading the thread 'Im not giving up!!!' and couldnt help but chuckle. Im 45 and just taking guitar up this year as well. Looks like we have a 'Mid-Life Guitar Club' starting up. lol

For me, it actually came about from my new years resolution - which was simply "happiness". Im not a 'new years resolution' kinda guy. Its always been 'just a flow of days' from one year to the next. But last year sucked *hard* for me. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer (in remission) in January. I lost my best friend to colon cancer and buried him in June. My gf moved to mexico city in July. My exwife (she truly is satan) moved my children 700 miles away in September - I was too emotionally, physically and financially drained to fight.

Im not writing this for pity at all. Im not a pity seekin kinda guy either. I get enough from myself. Anyway, my new years resolution started after getting out of the hospital on 12/28. I was home laying on my couch, watching some depressing story about North Korea or the Stock market or the election or something. Then boom - it hit me. LIFE IS TOO SHORT. I shut off the TV, went to my computer and deleted all the news bookmarks and decided im *never* going to watch the news or talk about politics again. Im stayin away from negative people and I just walk away if they even mention one thing about current events, stock market , politics, etc. The only exception I make is sports. I love baseball.

Wow. Did I ever waste a LOT of time with that crap. I started cleaning.

While cleaning, I came across my daughters old pink acoustic guitar when she tried learning at 10. She gave up after 2 lessons, but I kept her guitar. Its since been victimized by the hot dry socal air and warped/cracked, etc. I brought it into the living room and just sat and cried. It was a nostalgic / fun cry ...I remember her complaining on how her fingers hurt way too much and she thought I was punishing her at the time.

At that moment, I went to my macbook, signed on to our local parks and rec website and signed up for a 5 week beginning guitar class for $45. I bought a used Yamaha FD1 on CL for $50 and went to guitar center to have it checked n restrung.

I cant explain what happened after that. I sold a bunch of stupid stuff I owned. I now own a beautiful Breedlove guitar. I string my own guitars. I am OCD about humidity. I signed up for the advanced classes for $45 and I take a private lesson every friday as well. I hung my daughters guitar on the wall with a picture of her when she was practicing (not smiling). I love looking at that guitar and picture as I practice.

One month later - I can take a 30 day chip from news-politics-depressed-cynnical-peopleaholics anonymous. Not ONE story heard. Only weather and sports. I cant explain how wonderful that is on its own.

But the real gift was turning that wasted time into time on my my guitar. I can start to hear music coming from my guitar. Everything sounds beautiful - my perfect chords, my sucky chords, my fingerpicking, and even my bar chords which sound like a cat being run over by a Hummer - Its still beautiful. I have been more then an avid *listener* of music for 40 years. Now Im becoming part of it. What a freaken beautiful thing that is.

Its changed my life. In one short month. Everyone is noticing. They say Im different - I smile now. I laugh a lot. I listen to classical guitar music instead of Eminem. I know all about 'honeymoons' and such and hitting walls. I dont care. Im ganna love it for everything right now.

Thank you hammer for your post "im not giving up" because I understand the challenge too and it makes me feel good there are others like myself who are humble enough to start something new and not easy - at our bright young age.

Cheers to all and thanks to anyone who may have read all this. I had to dump to people that might understand what I mean....most people I tell just stare - and then ask me if I saw what Romney said on TV last nite. I just walk away humming a song...
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Old 02-01-2012, 08:20 PM
fitz fitz is offline
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Great first post... great post in general...welcome!


Fitz
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Old 02-01-2012, 08:30 PM
DaBoz DaBoz is offline
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Music, playing music, learning to play all a metaphor for life.

I got'a give up the fox news!

Thanks for the LONG post. I can relate to all of it.
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Old 02-01-2012, 08:36 PM
000-18GE 000-18GE is offline
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Wonderful post. It's amazing how stepping outside of one's "zone of familiarity" can alter one's perspective for the better
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Old 02-01-2012, 08:41 PM
TNTaylor414 TNTaylor414 is offline
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Welcome TheAdventure!

I can relate. My guitar helped me through some tough times too. That's why I can't sell a certain guitar I bought about 10 years ago. It's not anything great, but to me, it's waaaay more than just a guitar.
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Old 02-01-2012, 08:48 PM
jpbat jpbat is offline
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Yes, playing guitar is all that.
Great for happiness. Great for health.
Welcome.

(I came back to guitar myself to avoid madness in particularly difficult circumstances, and... a lot of unexpected music resulted. What a surprise)
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Old 02-01-2012, 08:51 PM
darylcrisp darylcrisp is offline
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very thoughtful post

i think your choice of music to listen to is a good tool also. may i suggest taking in a concert-acoustic guitar-every now and then-ask around at the local guitar store, or hone in on a favorite artist and check the tour, these can be fun, exciting and may only have 30-50 people in attendance. check your local college also-a lot of them have free concerts of named people who fly under the radar.

may i suggest some further music to listen to:

Guitar Peace:http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Peace-R...8151396&sr=1-7

Ed Gerhard:
http://www.virtuerecords.com/

Bill Mize:
http://billmize.com/Bill%20Mize%20Ac...r/Welcome.html

ana vidovic:
http://www.anavidovic.com/
this DVD of a concert of her is simply amazing:
http://www.anavidovic.com/html/purchase.html guarantee you will watch it over and over

d
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Old 02-01-2012, 08:54 PM
theaxeman theaxeman is offline
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Great post!!

There are several of us here who understand completely.
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Old 02-01-2012, 08:58 PM
jseth jseth is offline
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Welcome to the Forum! Nice to have you aboard...

Even before I could articulate the words, I KNEW that making music, of ANY kind or level of proficiency, was something very, very special... I decided at a fairly early age (17) that music was gong to be my life's path; writing songs, playing the guitar and singing...

Now, at nearly 61, I can't even begin to express in words what the guitar means to me, and has meant to me... more deeply satisfying and fulfilling than I can say.

I have made some money from playing, not a lot... I have always insisted on my own "artistic" sense and that has cost me a lot of $$$... and I wouldn't have it any other way!

There are a lot of ways to make money... try buying some peace of mind and deep happiness... hard to come by, these days...

I don't pay attention to the news or to what the politicians are doing because when I do, I don't feel so good... and I ALWAYS feel good when I offer the vibration of music out into the world...

play on................................>

John

"Funny how we hunger for some inspiration...
and everything else that money just won't buy..."

David Rodriguez - "The Ballad of the Snow Leopard and the Tanqueray Cowboy"
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Old 02-01-2012, 09:12 PM
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Godfather Godfather is offline
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WELCOME! What a great post and new beginning for you.
I can relate to only some of what you have endured, but I relate none the less.
Learning is life long. For me at age 58, starting to learn the guitar has opened a new chapter in the book of my life...and so far, next to my family, one of the best chapters. I love it!

Have fun, enjoy your sore finger tips.

I think everyone can learn something from your post...I did.

...now if I can only keep the news off
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Old 02-01-2012, 09:32 PM
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Larry Pattis Larry Pattis is offline
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Breath deep...

...it's great to be alive.
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Old 02-01-2012, 10:09 PM
Brock63 Brock63 is offline
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aint America great! Like you, plan on enjoying my later years...my practice and learning now is so I can play something of quality when I retire for my wife...
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Old 02-01-2012, 10:14 PM
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Mr Fixit eh Mr Fixit eh is offline
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Welcome, and thanks for posting. An inspirational story about finding perspective and making time. I took up guitar 4 years ago, and I'm turning on the TV and computer much less frequently as the years go by.

Steve
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Old 02-01-2012, 10:54 PM
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Chicago Sandy Chicago Sandy is offline
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From an old broad, welcome to our splendid addiction!

I gave up playing several times: once, at 21, the day after a gig when I was in law school, I got my first-semester grades and promptly locked my guitar case. 7 years later, after taking it back up when Bob was on call at the hospital every other night and I would otherwise have either gone crazy with boredom or drowned in overtime legal work, I put the guitar away at 33 when our son was born. Played strictly for fun (mostly bass) with a neighborhood band and then in my temple's klezmer band and talent shows after I went back to work at 41. After my boss and receptionist heard me play at temple at 46, they told me to go for it. My boss even said, "Pretty soon you'll be on tour more often than in court." I scoffed, "Who'd want to hear what a 46-year-old has to say?" My receptionist answered, "I would!" From then on, I practiced harder, wrote more and eventually went back to doing open mics and then gigging--first solo, then in a couple of duos and a trio.

So here I am at 61--one solo and three duo albums later (and currently recording both my second solo and third album with my current duo), touring several times a year for a couple of weeks at a time, having played on local, regional and national radio and living my dream. The only law I practice now is for friends and other musicians, and I keep my license mainly to be in the annual Bar Assn. show. Am I famous? No. Will I ever be? No. Am I a virtuoso? No, but my chops get the songs across. Do I get the respect of my musical colleagues? Somewhat, even though I'm still fairly far down on the folkie food chain. Do I love the sound of people telling me how much they enjoy my music? Even more so than the respect from my peers. Way more so. Do I love to sit and play, write and sing? Duh. If for some reason I can no longer play out, will I keep playing, writing, and singing? As long as my fingers and vocal cords will let me!

Don't give up until they pry your guitar from your cold dead hands. (By then, you'll be playing another stringed instrument at a higher-altitude venue).
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Last edited by Chicago Sandy; 02-01-2012 at 11:14 PM.
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Old 02-02-2012, 03:08 PM
RAD3 RAD3 is offline
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Thanks for that first post, TheAdventure and thanks to all yho have posted their stories on this thread. I'm back to playing at age 63 after a looong layoff of many years. The music has brought me a lot of joy and contentment over the last ten months. I'm sure glad I decided to try one more time.

Now I gotta go work on "A Day in the Life" some more
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