On The Fly

Guitar Center, Sunset Blvd., Hollywood “Your taking guitar lessons at 60?” Absolutely! It’s my way of always learning something new and having some fun in the process. “Haven’t you ever heard the cliche, You can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” “Of course, but let me be completely clear,” Education is not a bag of tricks and humans are not dogs. Some resemble their  ole’ dog, anyway . . .  For years I heard that platitude from students who would use it as excuse for not being able to successfully learn a new skill to their satisfaction or expectation . Agreed, learning a new skill is challenging. Let’s be honest, it’s downright hard. We tend to get entrenched in our comfortable ruts. Think back a minute. Remember what it was like to learn to ride a bicycle? It was exhilarating! Well, maybe not at first. Did you have training wheels? I’m sorry. What happened when your Dad removed those training wheels. I’ll bet you fell - over and over again. But with...

The Harvest Moon is your gateway to fall. It is the full Moon nearest the start of fall or the autumnal equinox . If you missed it this year, Friday, September 16, 2016, the day of the Harvest Moon also brought a  Penumbral Lunar Eclipse . Wow! Can you believe summer is over, another year that has simply flown by. It’s early morning and I’m noticing sunrise creeps over the horizon later and later. Siri tells me, “Sunrise will be at 6:41 a.m. today.” The shorter days bring cooler weather. Soon we will don our jackets for a trip to the market. During the summer you could enjoy sunrise at 5:42 a.m. (for those who were up). For readers of this blog this summer marked a milestone. My 60th year. Yes, Lori had planned a outstanding birthday surprise! Breakfast at Allen's Alley, then off to Los Angles to visit the Grammy Museum. We toured a special exhibit on The Beatles. Turns out August 16, 1966 the Beatles played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles - 50 years a...

“Para bailar La Bamba -  Para bailar La Bamba . . .” Podcast - What the Cat Heard . . .  If you’re reading this post you may recognize the lyrics to the adaptation of the Mexican folk song, La Bamba , released October 18, 1958, by Richie Valens. I’m certain, listening to this tune played on the guitar you would quickly find yourself tapping your toe to the beat. And doing your best to sing along. Me, I’m still wondering what the cat heard? Cat lovers out there maybe you can provide some insight.   While playing the introduction to La Bamba, my cat (Junior), jumps to my shoulders, needles a little, settles in, and meows in my ear. I suppose if he could talk he would say: “Dude, how many times do you have to repeat the same segment to get it right?” No doubt, his comments might be a lot more entertaining than listening to me attempt this catchy tune on my guitar. Allow met to set the stage. Every morning I strap on my guitar, check the tuning, and begin to practice. For fl...

You CAN teach an ole' dog new tricks. It amazes me that I still hear the platitude, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Really? People continue to use it as excuse for not being able to successfully learn or even attempt a new skill to their satisfaction or expectation. Agreed, learning a new skill is challenging. Let’s be honest, it’s downright hard. Well, I’m here to say that learning a new skill is not a bag of tricks and humans are not dogs. It’s simply a discipline that’s driven by a “want to” passion. It’s been over one year now and I’m having more fun than ever exploring the world of music with my Fender guitar . . . You see, in my experience, to remain young at heart, curious, and active, life is about learning and teaching new skills. The emotional and physical rewards are simply undeniable.  And if I might add practically unexplainable, but let’s try. Almost daily I meet customers at Home Depot who say to me, “No one teaches you how to be retir...

Fender Stratocaster “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I’m sure you’ve heard that mind-numbing cliche many times. Well, I’m here to say that education is not a bag of tricks and humans are not dogs. Some do resemble their  ole’ dog, anyway . . .  For years I heard that platitude from students who would use it as excuse for not being able to successfully learn a new skill to their satisfaction or expectation. Agreed, learning a new skill is challenging. Let’s be honest, it’s downright hard. We tend to get entrenched in our comfortable ruts. Think back a minute. Remember what it was like to learn to ride a bicycle? It was exhilarating! Well, maybe not at first. Did you have training wheels? I’m sorry. What happened when your Dad removed those training wheels. I’ll bet you fell - over and over again. But with a determination that refused to quit, you learned to ride. It was simply a matter of learning the tricks.    You see, to remain young and ...

“Its more than a feeling, when I hear that old song they used to play (more than a feeling). I begin dreaming”. . . . Allow me to set the stage for you. Bradley University, Saturday night, 1977, Peoria, Illinois, the rock band Boston had just released their first album the previous year titled “Boston.” I wore that album out, playing it repeatedly. When Boston played that night on stage, it was magic. We were there! Musician and mechanical engineer Tom Scholz was the first to recreate the exact sound of their hit album live. We were impressed. I fell in love once again with the art of playing the guitar. So, 40 years later, I’m playing the intro licks to Boston’s most famous song, More Than A Feeling. Sounds a little crazy at my age, but this year Santa finally brought what I’ve always wanted: an electric guitar. “Santa knows; he always knows.” It’s a beauty. A Fender Sunburst Stratocaster. Well, technically, it’s a Squire made by Fender, but who cares - it’s magnificent. And ...