Jarrett Johnson
S. Begert
Eng 101
Educational Experience
“ I
wonder who in our family will get Grandma’s musical talent, cause your dad sure
as hell doesn’t have” my mom used to always say. It didn’t take too long in my
life to show her exactly where Grandma’s gift might have ended up. I have been
playing guitar for a little over ten years now and piano for 16. Ten years may
seem like a short time, but saying I’ve been playing for almost half of my life
makes it sound longer. Even though I have been playing for guitar for “half of
my life”, I still have much to learn.
Playing, restringing, adjusting, and composing are just some of the
things that I work on every time I pick up one of my guitars, but It all
started with my grandma’s will to teach me.
For as
long as I can remember and before her passing, my grandma would sit down with
me every chance she got and would teach me how to play piano. Of course being
younger, piano wasn't very high on my list of fun things to do. Being the nice
little kid I was, I would sit and humor her for however long it took until she
felt she had taught me something. Over many years of giving her my attention, I
noticed that I was actually learning stuff and becoming better at playing. I
think my mom took notice and started suggesting that I take lessons all year
round. I eventually started taking lessons with local piano teachers and worked
with my grandma on the side. The only problem was, I still wasn't fully focused
and I didn't have that drive to truly sit down on my own and learn. It began
feeling like extra homework to me. So after years of taking lessons I had very
good form and could play many songs, but I couldn't read music for the life of
me and still had no drive to truly learn how.
I
mentioned to my father once that I might be interested in playing guitar after
watching one of my friend's brother shred on an electric guitar. Although I
said it, I wasn't truly that interested. I said it as a conversation filler in
a "wouldn't it be cool" kind of way. Apparently my father took it to
heart and thought it wouldn't just be cool but totally awesome if his son learned
how to play guitar. A few months later my birthday comes around and my father
excitedly hands me a huge wrapped box to open. Sure enough, it was a handsome
looking acoustic guitar. I thought it was a really cool gift but I couldn't
believe that he actually took what I said seriously and went through with it. Sadly,
for the next year, my guitar sat in the closet getting dusty. It wasn't until
that summer, when we drove down to California to visit some family, that I learned
a thing or two about playing.
Hanging
around our California house, my "Uncle" Rod comes over to visit. After
chatting for a little bit he casually whips out his guitar and begins playing.
My dad brings it up to him that I have a guitar sitting at home getting lonely
because no one knows how to play it. Without hesitation, Rod gets up and hands
me his guitar. He tells me to put my fingers in certain places and strum in a
certain pattern. He said that I wasn't going to leave until I could play at least
one of the songs he taught me while I was down there. I had no choice but to
learn because I knew that I needed to go back home, I couldn’t stay in California
forever! The next day he brought me his other guitar and left it there for me
to practice with. For the rest of the time I was down there I picked the guitar
up every chance I had and played it non-stop until my fingers felt like they
were going to fall off. I was almost able to play the song fluently by the time
I left and he was proud. It was a grand new experience and I actually felt a
drive to learn.
Upon
arriving home, I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I was unbelievably
excited to pick up my dusty guitar and see what new songs I could learn. I
found it in the back of my closet and immediately started playing the song that
my uncle taught me. It sounded nothing like I had learned. In fact, it sounded
just plain awful. I guess he thought nothing about teaching me how to tune the
damned thing. After a brief lesson on the phone and a couple of snapped
strings, I understood the basic upkeep of a guitar. The willing to learn only
intensified from there on out.
My experience
learning the guitar was more than just an experience. It was a realization of
something I did not know I had, and that was a passion for music. I played
piano for most of my life but it wasn't until I picked up the guitar and
started learning that I found a drive for music. Since I've started playing
guitar ten years ago I have actually wanted to go back and relearn the piano
and maybe even the dreaded "music theory". The more I play the more I
see that I want to learn. The more I watch other musicians, the more I want to
be taught new things that I have not yet to discover. Not only do I play acoustic
guitar now, but also I have picked up the banjo, ukulele, mandolin, bass,
twelve-string guitar, and even the electric guitar. Eventually I am hoping to
move on and start learning orchestra type instruments like flutes, piccolos,
violins, and brass. From there on out, who knows what my next goals will be. I guess
only time will tell
Ever
since that day my uncle put the guitar in my hands and forced me to learn a
song, my love for playing music has increased beyond what I thought my interest
levels could ever be. More than that, my appreciation and passion for music
itself has never been stronger. I have opened new doors in my life by creating
a wonderful hobby, meeting new people, and possibly one day possibly have a
career down a musical path.
