So what does every 11 year old little girl want for Christmas? That's right, a guitar!!! Don't judge me!
My family is very musically inclined, so much so, that we begin training the kids at an early age and I wasn't an exception. I was taught to play piano, and violin when I was about 6 years old. As I got older and began finding my own musical likes, I realized I wanted to learn how to play guitar.
Now this was around 1982, MTV had just started in 1981, the Buggles sang about how Video killed the radio star, Olivia Newton John's song about getting Physical, Paul McCartney sang Ebony and Ivory with Stevie Wonder, Joan Jett was singing about how much she Loved Rock-N-Roll, and Duran Duran had their song about a girl named Rio.
I was seeing all of the bands that I loved in living color watching them sing their music in exotic locations that I wanted to see for myself. I wanted that life, I wanted to sing songs to the world. I wanted to be a kickass musician and make myself known in the music industry as a contender.
Ok, lets backup a bit and let reality set in. I didn't like singing in front of people. I didn't like playing my instruments in front of people, except in an orchestra because there were so many of us, that I didn't feel singled out. How was I going to do all of these things that I wanted to do. Well, I was going to face these hurdles one at a time.
Singing in front of people, fixed, I will be a back up singer. I don't have to be the lead singer. Problem solved!
Musical instruments in front of people, fixed, dark lighting was the thing. Put people in the mood for dancing. Problem solved!
Playing guitar, Houston we have a problem!! I don't have a guitar nor do I know how to play one.
So I did what any red-blooded person would do at a time like this. I added a guitar to my Christmas list to Santa. I didn't have much hope, so I didn't think about it. I continued to watch MTV, listen to cassettes on my walk-man, listen to the radio, and play air guitar.
On Christmas morning that year there was an oddly shaped box sitting under the tree. I had no idea what it could be. I just knew that I wasn't going to get the guitar, no one else in the family played guitar. No one else in the family had an interest like me so I didn't have anyone that I could talk to about playing. As I opened the box, I looked up and my mom had a smile on her face. Lifting the lid I looked down at what was in my lap. It was a junior acoustic guitar with a book for me to learn how to play. I got my guitar!!! I was in heaven!!! I was going to rock this place like no ones business!!!
As I sit here writing this as an adult I think back to those dreams that I had of being a musician. I honestly say that I didn't want to sing for the world and play my music. I wanted to acknowledge all of the different musical genre's that I love. Learning to play guitar was just one more way of giving thanks to all of the musicians out there and showing in my own way how much I love their music. When I play violin it was classical music, when I played piano it was classical and R&B, when I played my little junior acoustic it was country music. So me sitting on the floor with the book propped up, learning where to put my fingers on the frets on a snowy Christmas morning, ready to sing my hear out.
Thank you to all the musicians out there for making everyday, not just Christmas, bright for me!
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