Dear GMC
It’s been nearly 9 months since I joined this wonderful site for the first time, and its been 4 months since my dramatic decline of activity here (which some of you may have noticed). I’ve been trying to come back ever since but my journey has taken me well out of the realm of online lessons and into the real world.
9 months ago also marks the moment I decided to devote my life to the professional, intellectual, and spiritual pursuit of music. Its been rough, and they have been some of the most difficult, most embarrassing, and ultimately most rewarding 9 months of my life. I’ve hit dead end after dead end in my learning process, I’ve struggled to learn musical notation, I’ve spent many late nights at home or at coffee shops tirelessly mapping out fretboard patterns that I would only throw away the next morning, I’ve had my guitar stolen, I’ve straight up hated playing guitar sometimes. But I kept at it. A year ago I didn’t know what an octave was, or what “diatonic” meant. Today I’m sight reading bebop, improvising flamenco, and modulating in my head. I sought a life which meant perpetual rigorous practice and study, but rewarded me with love (in many senses of the word), and though my journey has taken me away from this place, its clear to me that I would not have made it where I am today if I didn’t have GMC to guide me through the darkness in my first crucial months of learning.
Without GMC to help me, I wouldn’t have ventured into the realm of classical guitar and jazz.
Hell, I wouldn’t have even been able to understand jazz.
I wouldn’t have been able to play late night blues with the unappreciated virtuoso guitarists that live hard lives on the mean streets of San Francisco.
I wouldn’t have been able to play in shelters for the sick folks, homeless folks, and battered women and children.
I wouldn’t have been able to play actual gigs, and work with other musicians.
I wouldn’t have been able to contribute to a new and developing style of guitar (hip hop classical).
I wouldn’t have been able to take on guitar students of my own.
I wouldn’t have been able to stand out of the crowd, and win over the woman I love.
I wouldn’t have been able to feel closer to a higher spiritual power through the pursuit of music.
But most importantly, I wouldn’t have been able to feel like the man, or the musician I always wanted to be without that crucial first push by the GMC community 9 months ago. For that I thank you, all of my friends and teachers who help foster the next generation of guitarists (myself included). Hopefully one day, I can come back and be an active member again (but that would mean I’m not out working. Blah) I'm sorry if you felt this letter was poorly constructed. I usually spend a lot of time on my posts but not on this one, because right now I'm leaving to go play/study. I just wanted those of you who care to know how I was.
Yours Truly, Spiderusalem
P.S. How are all of you?
You are at GuitarMasterClass.net
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