Guitar Playing Is Not Mundane!

Like many of you, I have been dealing with the tragedies of September 11th for the past few weeks. Although I was not directly involved, it is fairly safe to say that everyone in the country if not the world has been affected in some way by the terrorist attacks.

I have been struggling especially with my duties to this column. I write a short guitar piece every so often, using my limited knowledge of musical things to help people become better guitar players. At least that’s the theory behind it all. But now our country is at war, our boys have crossed the seas, and everyone is on highest alert for more attacks. How mundane is a guitar column in the middle of all this confusion and concern?

But I have taken some time to talk to family and friends, I have given to the Red Cross, and I have come to terms with my fears and concerns by relying on my Heavenly Father. Now the time has come to attempt to return to normalcy. What seemed like such a mundane act of playing the guitar just a few weeks ago now seems to be just what we need to help comfort and inspire us to rise above the depths of despair that can be easily fallen into in such times as these.

But there is still one thing that puzzles me about this whole affair. I’m sure you have all seen the lists that were coming out in the days following the attacks of songs that were requested to be pulled from being played on the radio. Some of the selections were obvious, but there was one that I just couldn’t—and still can’t—understand. On all of the lists that I saw, John Lennon’s “Imagine” was near the top of the so-called “forbidden songs.” How can a song with the line, “Imagine all the people living life in peace,” make a list of songs that shouldn’t be played on the radio at a time like this? It is probably the most peaceful song that I have ever heard! Can anyone make sense of this? Please let me know if you can!

But in the meantime, sit back, relax, and remember why you started playing guitar in the first place. Let the music take you away and help focus your energies on a positive outlet. Play for your friends and family, but most importantly, play for yourself. You won’t regret it.

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