I'm currently accepting guitar and bass students. I love sharing what I have been so generously given by teachers, this journey and life in general.
One day when I was working at Old Town Music in Portland Oregon a young guitar player asked me a question. "Hey do you think I should get guitar lessons?" I replied "do you think you need them? Do you want guitar lessons?" He says "I think I could use them, I've hit a wall, but my friends say it will stifle my creativity". I replied "if you think you can grow from some lessons, and your friends are discouraging you from exploring that, then you need new friends. Nobody should hold you back."
This was the late 90's, kind of a dark and awkward era for guitar. The 80's were excessive, gymnastic playing, bad hair etc. The reaction was the Grunge scare of '92. No chops. But really, alot of those bands could play really well. By the late 90's it was just plain lazy.
But his friends had a solid point too. If you get the wrong teacher that can be a damaging relationship. A good teacher, you know it right away. Go with your gut. Is this guy trying to recreate himself or herself or are they listening to your desires and needs.
A good teacher provides structure, not a box. A good teacher loves to share his or her knowledge, not pound into your psyche. A good teacher knows their own strengths and weaknesses. For a while I had 3 students that wanted to learn Mississippi John Hurt style fingerpicking. I don't do that. I love that music but that's not in me. I referred them happily to other colleagues of mine who have a passion for fingerpicking. The students that stayed on learned a lot cause they were interested in what I have to offer and we got along well. It was always fun!
And fun is what life can be and as much as I don't like the word should, it's what life should be!
I wonder what that kid did. I have a feeling he got really good. He was hungry, that a blind man could see.
JB
One day when I was working at Old Town Music in Portland Oregon a young guitar player asked me a question. "Hey do you think I should get guitar lessons?" I replied "do you think you need them? Do you want guitar lessons?" He says "I think I could use them, I've hit a wall, but my friends say it will stifle my creativity". I replied "if you think you can grow from some lessons, and your friends are discouraging you from exploring that, then you need new friends. Nobody should hold you back."
This was the late 90's, kind of a dark and awkward era for guitar. The 80's were excessive, gymnastic playing, bad hair etc. The reaction was the Grunge scare of '92. No chops. But really, alot of those bands could play really well. By the late 90's it was just plain lazy.
But his friends had a solid point too. If you get the wrong teacher that can be a damaging relationship. A good teacher, you know it right away. Go with your gut. Is this guy trying to recreate himself or herself or are they listening to your desires and needs.
A good teacher provides structure, not a box. A good teacher loves to share his or her knowledge, not pound into your psyche. A good teacher knows their own strengths and weaknesses. For a while I had 3 students that wanted to learn Mississippi John Hurt style fingerpicking. I don't do that. I love that music but that's not in me. I referred them happily to other colleagues of mine who have a passion for fingerpicking. The students that stayed on learned a lot cause they were interested in what I have to offer and we got along well. It was always fun!
And fun is what life can be and as much as I don't like the word should, it's what life should be!
I wonder what that kid did. I have a feeling he got really good. He was hungry, that a blind man could see.
JB
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