I've always enjoyed music. How it sounds, how it can make you feel alive, contemplative and angry and loved. How it overall just moves and touches you in places that you once thought could never be touched.
I love how it's invisible force sends messages without using a single word. I love how one is able to spread messages to the darkest parts of the earth with out speaking its language. I just love music. And each day, I have a new found appreciation for those who create it.
If you read my last post, you will know that I was on a search for a guitar and a place to take lessons. I was successful...and not...and then successful again. I found Blue roughly 5 years ago and began taking lessons at a local music school here in Fort Worth. It didn't work out. After about a month or so, I stopped taking lessons and postponed my relationship with music. A few years later, I tried to re-kindle my desire to play Blue and with the help of my loving father had a ton of thoughtfully planned out lessons from the DVD series he gave to me. I tried to watch the lessons and practice, but again to no avail. Doing it at home on my own didn't work either. So yet again, I postponed the connection Blue and I had developed but only for a short while.
In November/December of 2014, I dusted Blue off took her to Guitar Center for a setup and brought the DVDs again to try and start learning. I was inspired by those around me playing. Not famous musicians, but everyday folk like my friend/old roommate from grad school and my team teacher/friend from work. I thought to myself. If they can find a time to learn, one who is single like me and the other who worked a full-time job, part-time job and took care of her 2 little children could find the time, so could I. I was more dedicated than ever. I watched the lessons and practiced when I could, but soon realized that doing it at home and by myself was not going to last.
Although, I am somewhat of an introvert, I am no hermit and love being around good people with good energy that will lift me up and support me. I needed to find a teacher. So in January of 2015, I signed up to take a complimentary lesson at a different music school in Fort Worth. Right from the start I was in love with the place, the location, the decor and their whole process. They had several instructors to choose from, but paired with me one that would match my interest and goals for playing. I was hooked the moment I finished my lesson. And have been taking lessons with an amazing instructor since February of 2015. While I have not practiced daily, I practice WAY more than I ever have on my own and have progressed so much without even realizing it.
Because of my progress, the amazing energy of my instructor and enthusiasm from my friend, I began thinking what else could I learn, what else do I want to learn and more importantly what's stopping me?
In April of this year, I attended an Arts Festival in Dallas and walked past a man selling Cigar Box Guitars in his booth. Now mind you, I had no idea what these were, had never seen them before or anything. But I stopped to listen to him play these weird looking instruments. The bodies on each was different than the one before it. There were Superman lunchboxes, actual cigar boxes, some made with dishwasher stoppers, mannequins and then there was her...Flora. It was like a magnet had the right pole to match mines and I couldn't walk away. I had to have her. I tried to be fiscally responsible but after walking away twice and showing my friend who said take her, I gave in. And she's been with me ever since.
Violet is the veteran of the bunch. She's been with me since 5th grade. And the only reason, why we parted...temporarily...was due to a move after my 8th grade year (an explanation of why can be found here). She was packed up and placed in a closet until now. She was my first. She took my music cherry and burst it wide open at such a young age. She introduced to me the beauty of the right notes placed in perfect order and harmony and that candle has been burning ever so slowly and patiently ever since. I've never stopped thinking about where I would be had we stayed in contact over the last 10 years or so. With the 2 weeks left in the school year before summer let out, I woke up one morning and the only thing on my mind was music.
Music.
Do I still have my Essential Elements books?
How much will it cost to get a new a bow or have it re-haired?
Will it all come back to me?
What about new strings for my violin?
Start an after school music program in Fort Worth...or what about bringing Music Unites here...
Could I learn and relearn to play 3 instruments?
I just want to talk to my kids about possibilities today...Show them new worlds
I just want to play all day...
All of this ran through my mind within a millisecond of my eyes opening. Could I really do it? Can I continue learning to play a standard acoustic guitar? Teach myself to play a 3-string cigar box guitar using YouTube videos? And then re-learn how to play the violin? It sounded impossible and still does, but at the end of the day, we will never know what is truly possible if we don't try.
I plan to use the OpenNo♪es section of my blog to share my journey into music, the craziness that will be learning to play 3 instruments at the same time, becoming a musician and hopefully a singer/songwriter one day and sharing that with others.
Have you ever wanted to learn to play instrument? Are you as entranced with the sound of music as I am?
*Sidenotes
Blue is a 20th Anniversary Edition Standard 6-Steel String Acoustic Guitar by Squier by Fender.
Flora is a custom made 3-string Cigar Box Guitar made from an antique, sterling silver jewelry box by New Depression Guitars.
Violet is a full size Anton Breton violin.
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