A photo of the author’s guitar. Photo courtesy of Damian Raptopoulos.
With seemingly an unlimited amount of time, there are a lot of things to do to try to make your day a little less boring. For me, after a couple of weeks of binging Netflix shows, playing video games, and doing schoolwork, I grew tired of the monotony. One night, while listening to a playlist with a bunch of old, classic rock songs, I decided to finally commit to something I wanted to do for a while: I started to learn how to play guitar.
For years, I had wanted to learn how to play after listening to bands like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and The Rolling Stones. The process of learning how to play a variety of different chords was daunting to me, so I always shied away from playing.
I came to Conn and wanted to go back to playing cello in an orchestra, something that I had done for years but was unable to consistently do in high school. The decision I took to join the orchestra was one that I am really happy I made. It opened up the opportunity to take private lessons for no cost while also allowing me to take Music Theory, two things I would have never envisioned doing while at Conn. My love for music was reborn after years of not enjoying the orchestra and music programs at my middle school and high school.
I also had the opportunity to play the cello in the Fun Home musical at Conn this spring, and it was there that I saw some talented guitarists like Dash Hunold ‘23 and Dexter Willett ‘20. Along with Fun Home, I attended a few MOBROC concerts and saw how much the bands were enjoying the music they were playing. I realized that I needed to learn how to play guitar.
While quarantined, I have learned how to play Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream” using a few YouTube videos that taught me the necessary chords I needed. It was a bit difficult to get the fingerings consistent throughout the song, however, with some practice, it became a lot easier. I am also able to play bits and pieces of different songs from listening to them. It is a satisfying feeling to play some of the more catchy parts of a song correctly. I’ll try to play some of the more complicated guitar solos in the next few weeks considering the amount of free time I have, though that will require a lot of practice and a great deal of YouTube video-watching.
With the amount of time that I have, I also have taken the opportunity to reflect on some of the privileges I have had over the years. I had the luxury of learning cello from some terrific teachers in elementary school and being surrounded by friends who, even in their youth, were passionate about learning and playing their instruments. I had parents who signed me up for piano lessons when I was young, providing me with a musical background that would help me for years.
To anyone who wants to learn an instrument even without much musical background, I would highly recommend it. Music, either playing or just listening, gives me an escape from a lot of the things that bother me. In a time as stressful and uncertain as this, music can be a way that you can feel a bit better. There is a lot that you can learn about yourself by playing music. Even after playing an instrument for years, being exposed to so much music this year has allowed me to learn things I never knew about myself. Take a chance, learn, and enjoy something new. I am certainly happier having learned a few songs on a guitar, and I hope that you can share that happiness. •
