Why the long face?

"The point, lieutenant?
Point, M'am? Oh, there is none..."
- Lt. Columbo

As an instructor, I get to have some great conversations. I was in a lesson yesterday evening with a good buddy named Doc. We were talking about how as far back as we can remember, we've both been serious about stuff.

Now, Doc's got me beat by a bit, because he's a former navy SEAL, and I currently have pink chucks on. So there's a slight difference in the level of seriousness. But we both agreed that as far back as we could remember, even playing kids games, we would be serious.

Now, an instructor can be the biggest hypocrite on the block, and I'm no exception. I suggested that Doc kick back and be un-serious with his guitar as a way to further progress in his playing career.

Fast forward to this morning, and you'd have found me hunched over my guitar, forcing sound out of it, and then grimacing while putting down some vocal tracks, serious as can be, in the worst sort of way. ( I can hear one of my teachers now, saying "SMILE when you sing, darn it!") I was gonna be an artist, doggone it! Geeze, the tracks turned out lousy. I wasn't following my own advice to be un-serious.

I got pretty ticked off, and I took five (or twenty.) By the way, I need something better to do to relax than read about how Freddie Mac is gone to a hot place.

Then.....The lesson hit me. I'm a blustering, warm, vivacious, crazy fella. The tracks I had put down weren't. They were a lie, brotha! Haha, OK, maybe that's a bit overboard, but hey, I don't think lying is cool, both verbally or musically. Plus, they were wayyyy too serious.

So - I'm really talking to myself here, but the goal of tomorrow's recording session, and every one thereafter, there are two main points.

1. Lighten up
2. I cannot play a lie.

Stay tuned for some awesome tracks! (And if you haven't already, add me as a friend of Myspace!)