Transcript included below…
Welcome to a two-part discussion as we talk about a rather unique topic: guitar through the seasons of life.
This is a good, rich discussion that I believe warrants breaking up my thoughts into two separate episodes, so although you’ll experience some closure at the end of today, I will leave you wanting just a bit more, for which I’ll supply the rest of the story next week. Let’s get started.
The guitar has been a companion of mine through a lot of ups and downs over the past almost three decades.
We can enjoy our guitars on multiple levels, from practicing, to worshiping, to creating, to collaborating, to performing, to recording, to teaching, or even just playing for fun.
We can make music at different times of day or night, different days of the week, different seasons of the year, and even different seasons of life.
But my hope is that music will consistently emerge from our guitars, no matter what’s happening.
I invite you to join me as I reflect on some different seasons of my guitar playing, and perhaps you’ll see reflections of your guitar journey as well.
Seasons of Practicing
I purchased my first instrument, a Simon & Patrick Luthier dreadnought guitar, when I was almost 20 years old. It was a reasonably-priced guitar, handmade in Québec, Canada, and had a satin finished solid cedar top, and wild cherry back and sides. I played this guitar in the music store for several hours, and loved the warm sound. So, I bought it, even though I had come into the shop looking for a totally different brand.
This guitar became my college dorm buddy, as I spent hundreds of hours woodshedding on it through all 7 grades of Mel Bay’s Modern Guitar Method. Not everyone goes through method books, but I appreciated the opportunity to work progressively through increasing levels of difficulty as I taught my fingers where to go.
I took some lessons as well, and those provided excellent accountability. I sought inspiration from several world-renowned acoustic guitarists and traveled great distances to learn from them in a symposium or masterclass setting.
The first two years of my guitar playing offered a season of development and learning through practicing, which continues to this day. But application and implementation were soon to follow.
Seasons of Collaborating
At a certain point early on, it was clear that other musicians were interested in combining their gifts with mine. Most of these musicians were more experienced than I, and I relished the opportunity to be “called up” to a new level of skill.
I remember being on a ferry going across the Puget Sound, and quietly playing my guitar in one of the booths. A wandering minstrel mandolin player appeared out of nowhere, sat down, and we jammed for a few minutes.
In addition to spontaneous opportunities like this, I went on to play guitar with pianists, drummers, full bands, and I’ve supported vocalists, hammered dulcimer players, oboists, clarinetists, cellists, and more with my guitar.
I believe music becomes significantly more multi-dimensional when we collaborate with others.
The more I collaborated, the better I got as a guitarist and musician, because other peoples’ skill levels challenged me to raise my game, and even those who were less skilled still gave me the opportunity to adapt and make good music with them.
Seasons of Worshiping
In Episode 6 of Guitar Serious Fun, which was called “Not Ready but Available,” I recounted the story of how I was gently encouraged to lead worship with my guitar at a family camp just weeks after I had begun playing.
I mentioned during that episode that although I was reluctant, I chose to walk forward obediently with my gifts.
The Lord invites some of us to lead worship with the guitar, and if we are invited, it’s wise to accept that invitation, because it’s a high calling and a great need.
Regardless of the size of the gathering of those who are assembling to worship, we are stewarding a tremendous responsibility: to help make a space where people can engage with the Lord of the Universe.
So, as I began to accept more invitations to play my guitar in a worship setting, I watched the Lord entrust me with higher levels of responsibility.
I was tasked with leading in a few different church paid positions from my guitar for over a decade, as I coordinated the efforts of worship teams varying in size. I also had the privilege of discipling some of my teammates.
And worship leading, whether paid or volunteer, has remained a part of my offerings. Worship is something that is not just a season of life – it’s a part of life.
And it’s my conviction that although worship doesn’t have to involve music, heaven will include worship through music in some way, and I am really excited to one day discover what that will be like. In a way, our musical worship here on earth can help prepare us for what awaits us in heaven.
Seasons of Creating
Creativity can be a scheduled thing, or it can be spontaneous. Like it or not, though, creativity on the guitar can only happen if we have some knowledge of how to play. If we know three chords, we can still create dozens of songs.
But the more musical ingredients we discover, the more flavorful our recipes can be. So, our creativity is related to what we know. It’s not necessarily a question of quantity, but it is a question of being ready when inspiration happens.
Fortunately, in my development of guitar skills, I had embarked on a decent number of chords and keys, but also the command of strumming and some decent fingerstyle. So, two years after I had purchased my guitar, I wrote my first song.
I remember pressing “record” and “play” on a cassette recorder (yes, that’s what was readily available to me at the time.) I spoke into this recorder, saying “I think I may actually be able to write music on the guitar.”
Then, I played my first song, which I titled “He Knows,” into this recorder. It was a song about how the Lord knows everything about us, including our sorrows, and we are invited to bring our burdens to Him.
And so, my season of creativity had begun.
Drawing from what I knew about music and the guitar, I began to write more songs about my faith. Looking back, I’d say that some of my early lyrics were a bit clunky, and some of the chord structures were perhaps a little unremarkable, but it was a place to start.
And we have to start somewhere. It was made clear to me through my songwriting pursuits that great songs are not written; they are re-written. So, I would write a song, and then revise it until I had it where it needed to be.
Over time, my songs got richer and more intentionally crafted. A song I wrote for my father, called “I’ll Tell You Now,” went through 13 revisions until I had it just right. Part of the process of finalizing that song took place when I woke up at 3 a.m. with the third verse in my head.
My songwriting continues to this day. Most often, the Lord teaches me something in my faith journey, I reflect on it, and a song begins to come to life in my soul. Soon, I have very little choice but to capture it with guitar chords and vocal melodies.
Some of my songs are upbeat, others are more somber. But they all reflect my love for the Lord.
Seasons of Performing
Just two years after my first song came to life, I had enough of a catalog of songs to begin sharing a full concert set.
I had sung with a few friends at open mics while they played their guitars, and so I had a small amount of onstage experience (though I had simultaneously been earning a degree in vocal performance, so I had performed in a few operas and recitals as well.)
My mom became my most supportive fan in those early years of my musical creativity. So, she arranged a gathering at one of her friends’ houses, and before I knew it, I was performing my first concert. There were only a dozen people there, but that was a legitimate audience, and I played for about an hour.
And so began my season of performing. Fast-forward to present day, having shared concerts in 17 states and two provinces, as well as some spontaneous appearances in England, Scotland, and Austria during Bible School, I’ve been able to share my guitar music in live venues from coffeehouses to grandstand auditoriums. As of this episode, I still tour.
Performing is a great opportunity to test out original music, because if the audience responds well, you know you’ve got songs that can stand on their own.
Seasons of Recording
The performing season transitioned naturally into capturing my songs in the recording studio. People at live concerts had been asking me, “Where can I get your album?”
My first recording experience took place in a reel-to-reel analog studio in rural England, in Lancaster, outside Manchester, while I was at Bible School. I had been offered a limited amount of studio time, so I basically just captured an album consisting of acoustic guitar, lead vocals, and harmonies. This was a good learning experience (as all recording experiences are.)
I had the album mastered, and then I found a graphics designer to help with the visuals. Graphics design is an important aspect of album production, because it can be someone’s first impression of your work. I had 1000 CDs pressed.
To recoup the cost of the album, I had a checklist of things that needed to happen, per a wonderful book that had been published in its 5th edition right when I needed it. It was called “How to Make and Sell Your Own Recording” by Diane Sward Rapaport.
Following Rapaport’s framework, I figured out when my anticipated “street date” would be, and worked backwards with a promotional campaign to my fans.
The first album release was a humble one, but I got better and better at figuring out how to get my fans on board, and for my third album, I actually had over 500 pre-orders come in, even before the album was available.
Throughout the various seasons of recording, I’ve discovered that an enormous amount of time can be saved by having professionals play on your albums.
It’s also super important to have a producer who is a realistic visionary, who can bring your musical dreams to reality and still stay grounded throughout the process.
Although it’s been some years since my fourth and most successful album, my hope is to record again. Songs still continue to appear under my fingers as I play the guitar.
Seasons of Teaching
I’m super grateful for all that I’ve learned on the guitar, and in the process of putting it to practical use, I’ve discovered that applied knowledge can be very fulfilling.
So, there was a season I embarked on just six years into my guitar journey that has continued to this day – and that is the season of teaching. At a certain point, the response was overwhelming – 50 students a week, with a waiting list.
Being on the receiving end as a student has strongly shaped the way I teach.
I love to be able to pass along guitar knowledge, and to watch the lightbulbs appear over my students’ heads as they “get it.” I also love to hear stories of how they are applying my teaching.
The model that the Lord has brought me to in recent years is an online membership called GuitarSuccess4U, where I impart my knowledge through a one-of-a-kind experience.
You’re more than welcome to see what we’ve got going on over there, by checking out GuitarSuccess4U.com.
I won’t go into detail about the membership at this point, especially since the website speaks for itself.
But I will say that it represents the most accessible, most in-depth guitar learning approach I’ve ever offered to students, and it’s the result of nearly three decades of proven guitar tools I’ve developed.
And students can learn at their own pace. Can you tell how excited I am about it?
So, seasons of teaching can happen throughout our journey, but especially after one has learned things, including the hard lessons that are waiting out on tours and in the recording studio.
Now, at this point, I’m going to pause my train of thought, and we’ll regroup next week for a continuation of this dialogue.
I look forward to going deeper in this discussion in our next episode, with part 2 of 2. I’ll see you then.
Guitar Through the Seasons (Part 1 of 2)