05 April 2011

Today was awesome because I got over "the hump."

Exactly five months to the day since I started teaching myself guitar I got up on stage and played my first open mic.  Yeah-- I played an open mic!!!  Thanks to my friend Matt, who really encouraged me to get up there, and accompanied me on another guitar.  I played rhythm and sang, Matt played lead guitar.

The songs were:

Wonderwall, in the style of Ryan Adams
Road Regrets, by Dan Mangan

It wasn't perfect.  I was pretty nervous and I messed up a few words in Wonderwall, and hit the wrong chord a couple of times in Road Regrets, but by the time it was all over and I returned to my seat, I just wanted to go up and do it again!!  But better!!!  I'm learning to accept that it doesn't have to be perfect, screwing up is part of the learning process, and everyone is very supportive when you're a beginner. 

19 March 2011

Today was awesome because we super-jammed!

Katherine and Keelan are partners, whom I met at an open bluegrass jam at a café (I watched, they played.)

I met Mark on the beach as we "Walk[ed] a Mile in Her Shoes" for our mutual friend Anne.  He brought along Matt.

Bill and I go WAY back to the summer of Oh-Eight, to the sudsy beaches and sandy bars of Grand Bend, Ontario.  He lives about an hour and a half north from me on the island and came down for the weekend.

This is the first time I've ever tried to play with more than one other person and most of the people in the room just met, but here we are... trying to feel out a little tune and work our way through it...

For a few hours, we banged our way through an assortment of rock, folk, blues and bluegrass.  It was just... so... bloody... AWESOME!!!

I'm sure of it now more than ever.  One day, I'm going to be in a rock 'n roll band.



(What made your day awesome?  Tell me in the comments section below.  I'd love to hear about it!)