walk your talk

[smileswhf]

I never learned to play an instrument. I took accordian lessons for a year when I was 8. When I didn't get my accordian groove on, my parents decided that was the end of music for me. So back when I was living in LA, I decided to learn an instrument. I bought a guitar and eventually found a teacher. I took lessons for 2 years but didn't really start to play until about the last 6 months of that. Then I just got derailed and ended up moving to the other LA and never touched my guitar again.

J and I want DG to grow up loving music. J thinks it's a fundamental part of science education -- there is something about studying music that helps train the scientific mind. He played viola in the MIT orchestra. I just want her to know that there is this wonderful thing called music. I also want her to have the example of seeing her parents work hard to learn something.

LSU has a wide variety of leisure classes. They have a 8 week intro guitar that I signed up for. We are currently in week 3. The teacher is nice. He has a well thought out approach -- every week he puts up a snippet of a pop/rock song and then teaches us the fingering. He says if you do nothing else during these weeks, learn the first song from week 1. There are more than 20 people in the class. There is a little cadre of the young hot shot guys plus one cute girl who wears a lot of pink. The rest of us? mostly middle aged with a couple of people who are past middle aged. The first song? something from Nirvana. I can't help but laugh at myself.

When I quit playing back in 2005, I was learning Uncle John's Band and was starting to get the hang of it. I'm determined to get back there soon. I just kick myself that I didn't keep playing. I'd be damn good now if I'd stuck with it. OTOH, I am a lot more motivated now than I used to be. DG is fascinated by the guitar and comes over to watch and try and twiddle the tuning keys every time I pick it up. I'm hampered right now by the fact that my fingers just huuurt. I wonder how long it will take to get some caluses built up again.

Comments

[cwendy41.livejournal.com]

I have a coworker with a now-five year old daughter. A few years ago, I was very impressed that the daughter knew a lot about the songs they played in the car. Even though they are a Chinese family, they would play different genres of music in the car, such as classical, jazz and I think even Indian. My parents never exposed me to music in that manner (they played the radio in the songs but never consciously put on certain songs for us) and I thought my coworker has an interesting parenting technique for music.

[smileswhf.livejournal.com]

I actually feel like I'm failing at the whole music thing. When I was growing up, we always had the radio on. Now, I just like to have a quiet house. That and I can't stand J's music setup, so I don't even put my ipod on when I'm cooking dinner. I've sort of stopped listening to music now that I don't commute. The only time I really listen now is when I'm running. I really should fix that. J. puts on Mel Torme for her. He's convinced she loves it. LOL She is getting a pretty good smattering of classical and traditional folk. I guess that will have to do for right now.