Thursday, January 29, 2015

Jamming one last time

I JUST BID farewell to one of my favorite students, who is leaving town for another job.

He came in about a year ago and bought a Jasmine acoustic. "I'm probably too old to learn," he said. He's in his late 30s. I told him he was wrong.

I was right.

He took lessons very seriously and made sure to play as much as his demanding job permitted. There were some frustrating days and lessons along the way, but he slowly improved and discovered how things made sense.

Today was his last lesson. He was here with his brother, a bass player, so we went into the back and jammed.

He held his own. Sometimes it was just simple strumming. Other times he picked a few strings. I threw a couple of new songs at him and he gamely played along.

I looked at my watch, and we'd made 75 minutes disappear. So much for the half hour lesson! It's amazing how fast it goes when you are into it and having a good time.

He left happy. I really hope he sticks with it during his new adventures. Playing guitar is therapy and good for the soul, and it can really help him.

You are never, NEVER, too old to learn. Your fingers aren't too big or too small. It's all about motivation - I'll help you, but it's all about putting the time in and the desire to get better.

Best of luck to my now former student. I hope playing music has made a difference and he maintains his love affair with the guitar for the rest of his life.

It feels good to help people learn!

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