BILL:
I've written alot of poetry too, and have had a few minor publishings.... just playing around with stuff, but sometimes it's neat to write poetry without a melody behind it. When you're feeling kinda low, it's strange what things can come out on paper..... My 16 year old daughter writes ALOT of poetry, and she's very good. She's very literate, and an English honors student.... and she reads alot, which I think helps in that area. I'm waiting for the day she tells me she wrote a SONG... cause I'm sure she will, she's very musical.... great singer, and she plays flute, guitar, and fiddle.
As to you "should have taken lessons"..... well, not necessarily. It depends on what kind of ear you have for pitch and rythm. I've never had any lessons, and at this point in the game, will never take any. I wish, years ago, I would have maybe on the fiddle, just so I wouldn't be so nervous on the instrument. I did take guitar in college.... just as a fill in class. I was going for an accounting degree, and needed one more class to fill in a 2 hour lunch break time. (who takes a 2 hour lunch?)..haha. Anyhow, after years of playing guitar by ear, I simply could NOT transfer it to reading notes off a sheet to play by. I mean, I play tabs a bit, and I can READ sheet music, but can't apply it to guitar. It took the teacher 3 guitar tests taken solo to say "Charmin, you're playing by ear aren't you?". And I admitted it, told him it was hopeless to change my ways, and took up weight lifting class instead. LOL
As to me "being proficient" on ANY instrument..... no, I'm not. I've played rythm guitar since a young age. Actually, you want to hear something funny..... My very first "instrument" was a set of kitchen spoons. Dad said I had to prove I could hold a good rythm before he handed me a guitar. So, each night the family played, I sat in a chair with a set of spoons, and learned to tap out a rythm. Dad would play jigs, waltzes, reels, hoedowns.... and I had to make them spoons make sense. LOL ... But yanno what, I think it was a good thing. He also made me tap my foot along with the rythm, so I would "feel" it. And before long, he was teaching me guitar chords and letting me follow on that. So, I think that is where I got my rythm and timing at anyhow. That, and the fact that music was just constant in my house. Bluegrass music, IMO, is one of the best genres to teach rythm and timing. You miss a beat, and you're kinda left behind, so you learn to keep up.
I play guitar, fiddle, mandolin, a smidge of harmonica, and a bit on banjo (only 3 songs and rythm rolls) .... and I'm teaching myself the bass guitar currently. But I would not call myself "proficient" on ANY instrument that I play. (except, maybe the spoons, haha) So, if I gave ya that impression, that was not my intent. You just haven't heard me play yet... or you would know. :D
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Don't give up anything Charmin. I think you are a well rounded performer. You will find that after years of being in charge of a family that you will find leading a band on stage to not be all that hard.
Haha, not giving up, not by a long shot. I'm just getting started. :D My biggest thing to overcome I think is that I am not very confident. Can't help but have things like "what are they gonna think of my voice?"... "am I gonna mess up?".... "what if nobody likes me?".... and all that good stuff, running through my head. Usually something a drink or two will cure, but I wont drink when playing with a band. Karaoke yes... live band no.
As to it being similar to "being in charge of a family"...... hmmm..... I don't know if "Play the song right or you're grounded!!" will work on band members... but I can try it. LOL
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