The Beginning...

In December 2018 I was talking to my youngest daughter and happened across a blue ukulele that she had gotten as a gift. Joking around, I said I was going to learn how to play it and people were going to pay me to entertain them. My son and youngest daughter laughed at me and said – “yeah right.” “Whatever.” Little did they know the die was cast.

Later..

Fast forward two months after picking up the ukulele and I was slowly falling in love with playing music – even on a ukulele. Albeit, not that serious, but enough to warrant practice everyday. There’s music in my messing. I decided to replace the toy small ukulele with a larger more serious looking wood concert ukulele. I ordered on off Amazon and was quickly held to account by my son. “Dad, what are you doing?” “You know you will play it for a little bit and stop… You just wasted your money.”

Little did he know, he lit a fire. I wanted to prove him wrong, but not just to prove him wrong.  I was learning that playing music for people can make them happy. I had always appreciated music. I was in band in school, but felt at different periods of my life that music meant much more to me.

Broken relationships pushed me further into music. I found myself finding comfort searching for songs and seeking sentiments that not only conveyed stories, but also reflected some of what I felt in my heart.

When COVID-19 hit in full swing and schools cancelled I spent time wanting to teach and waiting on students to join practicing music. By summer of 2020 I was ready to play rudimentary songs and entertain to some capacity. Free gigs at Farmers Markets and when I could find places to play gave way to paying gigs. My dream had, in a small sense came true.

One night I was watching a Youtube Video by Sully Erna of Godsmack. I had become a Godsmack fan during one of the aforementioned broken relationships. Sully had featured a program called Guitars For Vets. As it turns Guitars for Vets offers 10 free guitar lessons and a new guitar on completion of the lessons for VA affiliated veterans. I contacted my state representative and, because of my VA affiliation, was qualified.

I received a practice guitar in October of 2020 and met my teacher, who would become a good friend, Jack via Zoom. We talked a lot about music and life and I learned a lot (and continue to learn a lot) from Jack.

I played guitar publicly for the first time on the streets of Northeast Iowa.  I began going to small festivals and town celebrations and setting up and just playing.  I also started to frequent the Parkade in Downtown Cedar Falls, Iowa.  I learned that street performing was called busking and it had mixed reviews.  Some people saw it as vagrancy or panhandling, others saw it as art and expression.  I was the latter.  I fell in love with busking.  I saw it as an opportunity to publicly perform.  I really appreciated the adrenaline rush and excitement of being completely in charge of what was going out (for better or worse).  As it happens, fast forward three years and I still look forward to busking (street performing).  It provides grassroots level engagement with people.  I have traveled for hours to buy a "new to me" used guitar, only to take it to an area with lots of foot traffic to busk.  It also allows me to try on new songs and styles in a performance-type setting.

I also spend time playing at retirement homes and care centers. Residents there were hit very hard by COVID lockdowns.  As restrictions have been lifted I enjoy performing there again.  

I also took up teaching basic guitar in the Guitar4Vets.org Online Chapter and to area residents.  I firmly believe and live to the fact music is an adventure that can last a lifetime.

I hope to see you down the road or at a venue in the near future.