Hey Kris, i was reading this about your music teacher in 7th grade right now:



Is he still alive? Are you in contact with him? is he still your enemy? Have you showed him your awesome guitar skills? Does he know GMC exists and that you own it?

hard to believe a teacher would say such a thing. and if this is true, I doubt Kris has a category in his address book called "***wipes"

No sir, I do believe that is called a hitlist.

That happened to me, but I was like in the 4th grade, and it was to be in chorus. I was mad until I knew what chorus was

Believe me if I had read what I am about to answer when I was younger - I woul have killed myself. (Ok that was a strange sentence)

Either way - I have now realised that spending energy on your enemies is lost practcing time. My approach has always been that I will proove any doubter wrong with hard work - and it's a strategy that still works very well. Meaning it makes me feel alot better than planning some kind of vengeance.

Also - any music teacher who feels the need to bash their students - can't be anything but a loser. So even back then I was a winner without realising it!

Kris

Another sad aspect to it is that your old teacher probably did this, not because he's evil from the bones out but because he had problems of his own.

Maybe not psychomaniac since he couldn't gain anything from crushing you (if there wasn't a nice chick in line for practice that gained her spot when the next student left) but could very well be Asperger or a similar disorder (lack of compassion, speaking " the truth" without thinking of any consequences, nothing you do is wrong but always everyone elses fault etc) meaning he may have been completely unaware of his problem (it's not like you can diagnose it by a simple bloodtest). Unaware of the problem but aware of that his life sucks. Normal people tend to take a distance from this frank behaviour leaving these people with no friends and a pathetic life.
He could have alcohol problems, chewing pills, have a wife who was cheating on him and leaving him broke all te time or whatever.

I think we all behave irrational from time to time, mostly because we're too stressed out, worked up, generally not feeling well. But for most people it's just a passing mood, imagine living with it 24/7, bashing guitar pupils not realising you could ruin it for someone who could become a guitar hero. I'm not saying he's ill for real, just that it's a possibility. Study people closely (ok, I'm an amature but amatures can analyze things too) and you can notice plenty. I've experienced people (in work life mostly) that are psychomaniacs, have aspergers syndrom for certain (an unprofessional diagnosis made by Dr MickeM), one with Tourettes syndrome and plenty of odd stuff... It's all out there, just that 99,9% of us don't bother to think twice about "why did he do that?" or "why did he say that?" or "why did he react in that manner?"

...omg I'm preaching... Wrapping it up... Let's hold hands and forgive this guitar teacher, we wish him all the best in life.

Those are some nice word's of wisdom...

Yes I couldn't agree more with you Micke!

I think we can draw a general conclusion from this - when people missbehave it is very seldomly out of "evilness". Rather, it's the circumstances that push us into different directions. The better you can analyase what affects you - the less likely you are to be affected by negative things happening around you.

...and by analysing you can avoid redoing what your stressed teachers have done to you!

Hey analysing is a good word - it's also a keyword for improvement! Let's analyse!!

Try working out of your home, with 8 cats and a dog, and just about always one or another needing attention. You just tell yourself "I chose this, they have their needs" And even if you are irritable, you just control yourself. And if you do lose control, you get it back, and apologize, acknowledge that you were wrong. Nobody twisted his arm to make him teach kids.

There is a basic rule, you tell them what they did was bad, not that THEY themselves are bad!

As Kris said, not worth your energy, however I have always liked this quote from Heine:

“Mine is a most peaceable disposition. My wishes are: a humble cottage with a thatched roof, but a good bed, good food, the freshest milk and butter, flowers before my window, and a few fine trees before my door; and if God wants to make my happiness complete, he will grant me the joy of seeing some six or seven of my enemies hanging from those trees.”

edit: changed it more to my liking.
edit2: So did I --Kris (No just kidding )

Sorry to hear about his Parkinson.
I for one bash kids all the time, they make such easy victims and I love to see them cry... of course not. I didn't mean that in general, if you have problems you start bashing kids, guitar pupils in particular. But I know how you love to twist things and if you're quoting me, without twisting it, you should have said just that - "He did not turn mean to guitar pupils"
If it's just a statement, good for him, and good for the kids he didn't turn mean on.

Never the less, I forgive you.

This is a different subject really, how can people with problems be happy? Dalai Lama has his/their way of extracting positivism out of a shitty day. Laying down ones head on the pillow at the end of a day and be able to say "I wrecked my car, the entire house is water damaged and I found out that the mailman is doing my wife... but that butterfly I saw in the fields today was beautiful. It was a good day" I have to admire. To be able to put the bright things in the first row. Just look at Jason Becker, one would think he's got nothing left, still his spiritual life is very full and he appear to be in perfect harmony.


I should definiaitely read some book of Dalai Lama some day to find out the secrets of achiving that kind of satisfaction in life.
Kind of the opposite from Heine that you quoted which was kind of amusing
I only know of one Heine, one which you can drink, Heine Ken.


He made his living. And another sad fact about people especialy with Asperger is that they don't go well with people all the time, easier to put them in a shed somewhere once you noticed their flaws - put him with the kids where he makes no harm.

You choose to have 8 cats and you can control yourself. With an illness of some kind or with such a load of problems on your shoulders not everyone can.
You see people burn out all the time and it's in direct relation to how much they can handle problemwise. When problems are piled up too high it will break, for anyone... Except for Dalai Lama.

And the Dalai Lama considers Mao Tse-Tung not his greatest enemy but his greatest teacher...

Diamonds are forged by time and pressure - who's to say what kind of slacker Kris would have become without that misguided teacher's challenging and incorrect diagnosis of his musical talents.

I had some very harsh music teachers in my school and university years, some of the profession really do think it is the only way to bring out the best in students. I choose to disagree

Are you ready?!!

actually I was not trying to twist, I guess I do it naturally. I meant well.


I know another quote I like, from my oldest brother. He was very sickly as a child, nearly died several times. But he stayed on the leading edge of medical advances and has been healthy because of that in his adult life. His quote is "every day above ground is a good day".



before one gets too carried away with Mao, he is a very good example that substantiates the saying "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". He was generally quite admired prior to the end of WWII by those who met him from the outside. He became quite evil after he was in power for a time. In graduate school my group was all Chinese, and I worked in an otherwise all Chinese company here for three years after. This is not just US propaganda. My Chinese friends would say the same thing. Millions of Chinese suffered and died because of that man. Maybe even close to as many who died under Stalin.

Your points are valid - though I was talking about the Dalai Lama, not Mao.
Everyone has been wronged - it is how we choose to deal with it that is our privelege.

How ironic would it be if Kris actually saw his music teacher in the next couple of days

Maye he's here?


I got the point of this - And the Dalai Lama considers Mao Tse-Tung not his greatest enemy but his greatest teacher - as Dalai Lama being good and Mao being bad and therefore being a great example, to Dalai Lama, of how not to perform.



That's a good saying. One could (if you don't think twice) just laugh and concider it funny but in fact, ...it says a lot.

Well he should!! He would learn a lot form this place.

However, he is French - and from singing "Yello Submarine" in the music classes, I remember his English was "slightly" limited...

Non the less Kris I think youve proven yourself worthy as a musician ( Keep thinking I spelled musician wrong)
. But as for your dancing

My Grandmother (born in Europe) used to sing "Little Child" by the Beatles. "Little child vont you dance vit me. I'm so sad and lonely, baby take a chance vit me". It was cute. She died, but I have a recording of it.

wow, i didnt expect this topic would bring all these other topics .

all replies have been very interesting and informative.

Kris you wont beleive this but we have the same problem. My grade 7 school music teacher who barely knew how to play any instrument (just knew theory and was actually a Gym teacher) toally demotivated me (he made me hate instruments especially guitar.

My acoustic guitar used to get drowed by the flutes, trumpets and clarinets in music lessons. He used to crib why i didnt play a wind instrument. I made a decision to play guitar for two reasons:
-My mom used to play acoustic
-I had to play an instrument and for hygene reasons played guitar in school (we had to share mouth peices for instruments).

Now my music teacher used to call my mom at work and complain that i did not practice the peices hes providing me. The problem was he was providing me with FLUTE peices in sheet music. He wanted me to switch cause if i joined the school band, he would have to arrange peices for guitar also (he was a fat A$$ and too lazy).

Sometimes the whole class would talk and so would I. Instead he would point at me and just throw me out of the class. I was good in science and sometimes my science teacher would walk past the corridors to me standing out. He would then take me inside the class and argue for me that im a good student and all. But my <insert swear word> music teacher would hold on to his guns and get some suckers (more like nerds) in the class to support him.

My music teacher was so bad that he made me drop music in high school and totally hate guitar. After a few years (im 16 now) i have picked up electric and im doing fine on GMC. GMCers really stand out as guitarists (not that ive met any, but by the material provided here you can easily blow away all poseurs). Im now in my own band and were playing in malls and hotels.