Several years ago, I got myself into the guitar. Convincing myself that maybe I was the next Jimi Hendrix. I was enamored with the playing of John Mayer, The Edge, John Fogerty, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. To say that I loved the way they played. There was something pure about it. Their playing was real, authentic, and powerful in a way I wanted to capture somehow. So I bought a guitar, and spend an obscene amount of time on YouTube attempting to teach myself the melodies I loved. It was great fun, and I don’t regret a moment of it.
Sadly I regret to say that the day came when I didn’t play. There was never a moment where I just threw up my hands and shouted, ‘I quit!’ It just…happened. I missed practicing for one day. Which tuned into two. Three. A week. For weeks. A couple of months. Then eventually. Nothing. I’m still unsure how it happened. I guess life just got in the way. Maybe that’s what happens all sorts of things. Relationships, ideas, and what have you.
I just stumbled over one of the greatest music groups ever. A YouTube channel involving two brothers called, “Music Travel Love”. Just looking at their decaled guitars and ‘next door guy’ looks, I knew I was going to like what I heard. I wasn’t prepared for what followed. These two brothers sang without any flashing lights, no soaring vocals, no blaring electric guitars. They sang simply, smoothly, and with serious emotion. How good are they? Well, let’s just say they made me care abut songs I thought I hated. Take their covers of “I Want It That Way” and “True Colors”. I hate the original versions, but when these guys sang, it changed my perception. What I was hearing was pure and simple. But more than that was pure. Pure music. Pure emotion. Everything I wanted to capture, and somehow lost sight of.
It seems that nearly everyone at some point has had the desire to play the guitar. As I listened to “Music Travel Love”, I wanted to dig out my guitar and start playing gain. Somehow, I had forgotten what the pure sound of the guitar was like. That’s sad. Really. I had forgotten what Fogerty brought to “Have You Ever Seen The Rain”. I had forgotten what it was like to marvel at John Mayers finger yoga on “Neon”. When U2 played, I loved Bono’s operatic voice, but loved The Edges rhythmic playing more. All forgotten.
Why does this matter all of the sudden? Because I think music is important. I don’t mean in the way that people say greens are good for you, or that you should walk instead of run. Great music should move us, fill us with passion or move us to tears. I think we need more pure music in a world with constant noise. I can’t turn on the news without hearing people shouting about the latest politican. Honestly, it gets a little wearing sometimes. I look around and sometimes it feels like everyone is losing their sense of empathy. I am telling you here and now that people are becoming less kind. I have heard of families that refused to have Christmas dinner with each other because of their refusal to support Donald Trump. (or vice versa) Personally, I think this is inexcusable behavior.
I think we need things like music, poetry, good stories to bring us all together. There are some deep divisions being sown amongst us these days. If we don’t watch it then I’m not sure we’ll be able to fix the damage that follows. ?
Me personally, I dug out my guitar yesterday. Worried that it had been too long. I’ve lost some of my smoothness, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much memory my fingers retained. I was able to run through some scales and arpeggios with relative ease. It felt good to play again. I’m nowhere near the live of John Mayer or The Edge, but sometimes I don’t think that’s what it should be about. Sometimes there’s more to music than just the notes.
