Seriously, I don't know what's wrong with me. Almost two months since my last blog post.
Anyway, moving forward.
I play guitar. I create music. I also try and teach people how to do these things, too.
My first question to my students is always "Why do you want to play guitar?" And I'm always amazed when, quite often, they don't have an answer beyond "My parents want me to." And somehow, their parents are angry that they don't make progress.
Now, I will take their money. I'm not yet at the place where I can fire students for wasting our time. I'll sit with them for their scheduled time and keep trying to reteach the thing I taught them the week before, which they forgot because they didn't practice. I'll try and get them interested in playing enough to motivate them. But if they don't know why they are playing guitar, or worse, they don't particularly want to, I'm not going to be able to do much for them.
I used to have this idea that I would teach my kids to play guitar, but they just weren't that interested. I figured our time was better spent playing Legos or princesses with them, as opposed to frustrating them and me. Finally, my 14-year old is interested in learning. She loves music, and wants to play what her favorite bands are playing. She takes the initiative to find music to study. She practices because she wants to, not because I said she has to for a half hour a day.
I play guitar. I create music.
I don't have a regular job. I stay out late watching other musicians when I'm not playing my own shows. I practice, compose, and write lyrics much of the day.
"Why are you doing this?" Normal people see that as laziness, lack of ambition, moral laxity.
I don't make music because I want to. I have to. It's who I am, who I was made to be. Trust me, I don't want to be out. If I could just stay home and be successful, I would.
So, since I'm made to do it, I'm going to do it. Keep fighting, keep pushing forward.
Love,
Brad