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  #31  
Old 02-06-2002, 08:12 AM
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Lisa Lisa is offline
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Steve -
Thanks for sharing your story with all of us. I could relate with parts of it about "getting by" and agree with you that life gives you what you give it.
I pray that you will see even more increase in your health and in your renewed ability and determination to play the guitar. Sounds like you'll be needing that new Taylor very soon.
Lisa
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  #32  
Old 02-06-2002, 03:49 PM
Shea Shea is offline
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I agree that there is definitely a difference between "natural talent" and "ability". Natural talent is what enables us to excel at what ever it is we are good at and allows us to push the envelope and the rules. I strongly believe that everyone has the ability to do just about anything they want. What drives that ability is DESIRE. The strength of your desire is the difference between being mediocre or good. It is what gives you the ability to accomplish what you set out to do.

Early last year I was going through some tough times of my own. I was layed off my job, my wife filed for divorce, and I had to leave my house with hardly a thing to my name (still trying to settle that). The one thing that gave me solice was my ole cheap Yamaha guitar that I used to fiddle around on. At 36 years old, I decided that I was going to go back to college and change to a career that I love (flying), instead of one that I just tolerated. I also decided that I was going to seriously learn to play guitar. I went out and found myself a Taylor 514c and a good instructor.

I quickly learned that I didn't have the natural talent for it, but I did have the desire. My instructor commented on the fact that though I wasn't his most talented student, it was my desire to learn that was fueling my skills and improvements and turning me into one of his better students. My goal is to someday be good enough to play in a group setting or a band and not be intimidated by it. I know that I will never be a great guitar player, but I do know I will someday be a good one.

Unfortunately, I had to sell my 514c because money got tight for school and my desire to change my career is just as strong as my desire to play guitar well. I miss that guitar, but I will have a Taylor again soon. Meanwhile, my trusty ole Yamaha is keeping me company and helping me to achieve my goal. The desire is strong. Besides, I heard that girls love a guy that can play a guitar!

Shea
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  #33  
Old 02-06-2002, 04:35 PM
SJ111 SJ111 is offline
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Default a few more "thought"...

not everyone can reach the highest level....but, everyone can reach their own potential...desire + effort =success!!!!!!

Now comes the question of "what is success"?....well that often times is measured by others, but in reality, only the individual alone, can truly measure success...

Is success the ability to own own a home and if so at what price does success kick in????

or

is success how much money is there in the bank????

or is success the ability to overcome adversity???

how about someone who has been severely handicapped but has gone on to earn a college degree???? is that success??? I think it's safe to say that we all would say that (for that individual) it was a "very" successful achievement. One that we collectively would admire.

Now the "difference" is.... say we have an extremely bright, intelligent child who goes on and graduates from college...is he also successful????...yes he is, but there is also a built in assumption that as a child, he/she was very bright, so of course he'd graduate from college...so both achieved the same results... so was each successful or was success earned in a different manner? and was success for one different for the other even though they both achieved the same result????...and because of of other factor...one was extremely gifted or talented so for him/her it was easy...the other person had to overcome adversity to reach the same level....

So what am I saying here???? just this....some of us (and I am not included) who play the guitar (or any other musical instrument) become very accomplished and we do it very easily....while most of us really have to work hard decent;and maybe a few us will work hard and become really good to and can and do even make a living at it as well.

I am also going to say (and I'll probably get into trouble here) but I think alot of mainstream rock & rollers are good and some very good but technically they maybe "lacking"....I say this because how many formally trained musicians (say they went to college and majored in music...or even went to say Julliard and graduate...) how many of those are in what is considered "main stream" pop music???? as opposed to playing perhaps for some formal musically enviroment???? I don't know...but I suspect the more formally trained individual one becomes the less likely he will be found in a R7R band...or even playing weddings on weekends for that matter as well.....

So what I am trying to say is for most of us we will never be successful in our level of guitar playing...nor should we want to be successful....because at whatever level we reach....there will always be another level to go...so I never want to say that I am a successful guitar player...rather I only am a guitar player who hopes to get a little bit better tomorrow!!!!! and then the next day, and the next day and the next day and I think you all see what I trying to say here...so in a way each day we bocome a bit better and in that way each day we become more successful...and that's the way I measure success...am I better today than I was yesterday?????

Hey just my .02 cents...(sorry don't have any more the "ex" got it all...) I can relate Shea...just hang in there guy...look at it this way..."for every ending there is a new begining"!!!!!!!!


later, and you all have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last edited by SJ111; 02-06-2002 at 04:41 PM.
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