On Occasion, Guitars Are Not All That....What?

Ok, well I said it. Yes, it is true for me. From time to time, I am bored to death of the the onslaught of guitar photos and guitar stories I get on my social media feeds. How many Olympic white strats can one man look at? In fact, sometimes I think there are only a dozen or so photos of Olympic white strats on the planet. We just keep sending them to one another as if we just snapped it in our living room and posted it seconds ago. Listen, I am not saying that strats are boring or that Olympic white is not a great color for a strat. I am simply saying that even the most dedicated guitar heroes among us need to branch out a little.

I have included recently in my feeds other points of interest. Of course surfing, of course dirt bikes, of course skateboarding but also recently some art stuff, and poetry stuff as well. I'm just trying to add some variety to my interactions with this world. In turn, I have found that it adds dimensions to my guitar playing that I have not previously experienced.

The art I have started looking at is of various subject matter. I have found that it gets me thinking about what colors and what mindscapes might enter my thoughts as I am playing a particular guitar passage. The poetry I have started reading gets me thinking about writing good lyrics again (as if I have previously written a good lyric).

You have heard me make reference to the musical life and the guitar lifestyle. Honestly, I had not really put as much thought into those phrases as I should have until recently. So, this really can be a musical life. Tying a variety of interests and experiences into our music really does make it a life. A lifestyle if you will.

I try to keep these posts short and to the point. Most often it is to just share or a thought or encourage you to contemplate something along with me. Join me then in this if you will. What other interests can we incorporate into our musical thoughts? Can we find a way to make our interest in bread making or cake decorating improve our guitar playing? I think there may be ways to do so. If we give enough thought to it, we can combine so many of our interests into a cohesive personality or lifestyle. Look for a way to make it fit. Most of all, lets pick our head up and look at something other than the fretboard. Its a big world. And a beautiful one.

The Musical Life

It's In the Way that You Use It.

Like many of you, in fact, all of you, my life has gone through many changes. Some good, and some not so much so. What is one to do? It is simply the variety of life and all of it's unexpected twists and turns. I am not trying to trivialize any of our trauma, pain, broken hearts, or busted bank accounts. My intent is to simply say that none of us are immune to the dark clouds that life can bring.

The good news is that those dark clouds are always on the move. Eventually, blue skies return ( provided you enjoy blue skies) and we go through a time when we can enjoy a lighter heart and lighter step.  As I contemplate the tentative and ever-changing nature of our respective walks through life, I am reminded that not everything in life is temporary. At least in our carnal experience.

I have enjoyed many permanent situations in my several decades on this planet. I never seem to get weary of fun Saturday on a dirt bike. The intro line in Crazy Train is something that I can listen to over and over with the same joy every time. The first few string picks on a Gibson Hummingbird are magical. Every time! I cant remember a time when I did not enjoy the smell of fresh ground coffee beans. Sure, you may see these things as simple things and they are. But so what? Is it not "ok" to enjoy the simple things and find pleasure in the "not so complicated"?

People are people. I can say that because I am one. I can accept the fallible nature of humans because I realize that I myself am not perfect. As John Popper sang, "I lie to0 so I don't mind" (Run Around). My tie in here is to say that often times, it is our relationships with other humans that provide most of the shifting sand in our lives. Friends, it is meant to be that way. It is simply the way that it is. When we can turn inward and see that we are all the same, the complicated nature of life can become simple. Or at least a bit more simple. Instead of life being a mysterious, heart breaking walk on ever shifting sand, it can be a nice stroll through a little house of horrors.  A bit scary at times but we know that the boogie man (Mesa Boogie Man?) is right around the corner and we can be prepared and even look forward to the little jolt.

My human relationships often come and go. Music has become the vehicle by which I stay in the game and find new relationships. Some of those relationships are with other humans, some are with instruments. One most often more substantial than the other. I will leave it to you to ponder which is which. When we realize that change is a constant, we might just be a bit more "ok" with it. It might just be that in the grand scheme of the universe, the smell of fresh roasted coffee and the feeling you get when the "love of your life" walks into the room are on the very same shelf. Keep strumming my friends.