Hello one and all. This is my first attempt at writing a blog, so bear with me, won't you?
I've been playing guitar now for a grand total of 50 years. Starting when I was six, as I watched my oldest brother strum a few chords and trying to emulate what I was hearing and seeing. Much like now, there was so much I didn't know, but I was captivated by the sounds, and when I came to parts in a song I didn't know, it felt totally natural to play something regardless, finding notes that matched what was happening at the moment. Again, much like the present time. As a result, improvising has been a part of my musical DNA for as long as I've been playing, and it is that being-in-the-moment awareness, and the potential to create beauty in that space, that continues to entice me with its endless possibilities.
It can become harder, as we get older and more entrenched in how we approach matters musical and otherwise, to stay within the moment and maintain openness to what is possible right then, rather than relying on what we know has worked for us so many times in the past. I have found that achieving a balance between what our experiences have taught us, and the willingness to allow a new musical experience to control the flow of our reaction and offering, is possible. I have been within that presence, felt its power to gently push me into new modes of expression, and realize that the connection of that balance with the child that I was, enchanted by the sounds coming out of a guitar, is most strongly felt in those moments. That is one big reason why I continue doing what I do, to experience those moments with others, connected as we all are.
