Today, much rather than to write about songwriting, I´d like to share the story of me and my guitar!
This story dates back to 2012. It was then that I found my old Ibanez western guitar in our basement. I had suddenly had the idea of starting to play the guitar again. After many years of musical abstinenz. I had been a musically talented child for as long as I remember. My first music related love was dancing. I started at age 4. This was followed by a period of singing classes and interactions in a choir, before picking up the flute at age 6 and then the guitar at 8 years old. At first I didn´t really feel friendly towards guitars. I had wanted to play the piano. But life writes its own stories. My grandmother had brought a guitar that one of my cousins had owned before. And so in my parents eyes, the decision was made. After initial resistance I eventually learned to get along with my guitar. It was not a deep love, but a decent friendship.
Until, aged 12, the world changed. I had grown up listening to great music all along. At home my Dad would make us listen to the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Janis Joplin, James Brown, the Who, the Righteous Brothers, The Bee Gees, Aretha Franklin, Shirly Bassey and so many more of these great artists. And then, when I was 12 years old, Sheryl Crow came up. She was my first “own” discovery I´d say. I loved her song “All I wanna do” with its blues inspired riffs and midtempo beat. I saw Sheryl play her guitars and it just hit me, that “I might be cool like that”! I begged for an electric guitar until my parents gave in. I started playing with amplifiers at home, driving everyone in the neighbourhood crazy. I think our friendship was elevated to romance. Later, I would start playing the keyboards and the Congas, also joining the school band. A nice decent curriculum, you would think. But no!
The minute I gratuated from school, all my musical aspirations vanished. I knew I had to do something “serious”. Something to earn money with. Something brainy, I´d say looking back.So I went to university, spent years of studies and finally graduated. This landed me a job in PR. I founded my own business shortly after, doing good, but never great. How could I, with almost no passion for the job. I randomly still wrote songs and lyrics, but really just for fun. Never playing them to anybody, never telling anybody. It was a secret affair. Until, in 2015, I found a facebook ad, announcing a songwriters workshop – offered by a singer, I had loved in my early teenage years. (also see here )
Somehow one thing led to the other and I knew that I could no longer push aside my love for music and for making music. I started to play more on my guitar again, but my almost broken guitar had spent too many years in the basement. It had suffered from humidity and its neck had deformed. The distance between the neck and the strings were too large, making my fingers bleed at times. Playing this guitar was not beautiful to the ears, but it served my songwriting demands and made me happy. However, I made a promise to myself to one day buy a truely awesome guitar.
I had read a lot about Martins and Lakewoods and I would go to the music department store regularly to test some guitars. I fell in love quite a bit with a Yamaha limited edition remake of a 1960 guitar, but something didn´t say “buy it ” . Months passed without anything happening at all.I kept trying out Martins, Lakewoods, Taylors reguarly, until last week a Gibson hummingbird fell into my hands. I loved the sound. The vintage-y feel to it. It sounded just perfect! Ideal for playing country licks. It cost a fortune, but I was willing to invest. Investing into a classical brand like that is really just that – an investment, as opposed to just spending money. I made them reserve the guitar for me for a day. Went home, hardly slept, read everything I could find about that guitar and found that it was a true classic, that had lots of fans throughout all genres of music.So I went back to the store the next day (last Saturday), thinking that I´d take that guitar home. As I entered the store, something told me, I had to try another brand just one last time, making sure, I was doing the right thing. I played a Martin again and a Taylor (the later of which I had crossed off of my list a while ago, as their pick ups just didn´t stand to those of a Martin or a (German engineered) Lakewood). And guess what.
When the vendor handed me the Taylor guitar, I felt like I was on fire. The way it adjusted to my body posture, the feel of the neck of the guitar, the rather bold sound of it. I knew this was my guitar. I never thought there could be such a thing as chemistry between a piece of wood with steel wrapped around it and myself, but hell, I now know better!I brought my baby home today and I am beyond happy.
Hopefully “our” story was pleasant to you! To all the fellow guitar players and songwriters out there….I wish that you find your perfect match as well! Keep looking for it and it will find you!
Yours,
Katie