You Should Make a CD

You gotta love little kids. Their world is so small, their experience so limited, that each new and exciting thing they see or experience almost redefines the borders of their existence. Feats of even moderate talent performed around them, if beyond their abilities or understanding, fascinate them to no end.

In August 2006, after almost a 20 year absence from my hands, my guitar came out of storage and its confining dark and musty prison on a lark. I can’t recall exactly why I got it- I think one of the girls needed to use the case for something or other. Anyway, out the guitar came and it sat in my office for a week or so until I picked it up and tried to strum a few chords.

I was horrible. Not that I was ever very good, but now I couldn’t even get a decent “C” chord out of the thing. My fingers wouldn’t cooperate; the strings were brittle, and sure enough on about my 4th or 5th try one of the strings snapped. Or rather crumbled into dust.

I went to the music store and bought new strings (I had a free afternoon somehow) and had it up and running in another hour. I finally managed to hit a decent chord or two and it was wonderful to hear the guitar produce something similar to music after so long. I decided right then, and I have no idea why, I would dedicate 30-60 minutes every day to try to get back to beginners level of play- maybe even a bit beyond. I reasoned that a month or so of daily practice would do it.

Fast forward 14 months. The guitar has remained out of its enclosure and either in my bedroom or the living room this entire time. I have done fairly well at daily practice- sometimes 2-3 times a day. I have now far exceeded the level of play I ever did when I was 16 years old.

A couple nights ago my two youngest girls, R (6yrs) and A (9yrs) gave me the encouragement and affirmation I needed. After I played and sang a couple goodnight songs for them at bedtime (“Good Night” by the Beatles, and a second tune I am writing) A said “daddy, you are so good. You should make a CD. I would buy it.”

Yes I know- A doesn’t even earn her own money to buy a DigitalRich CD- she would have to use mine- and neither girl has ever really encountered true talent sitting right in front of them to properly form a learned opinion about guitar playing, but the words were sweet anyway.

Perhaps I will make a CD for my two fans. I better hurry before they find a new favorite artist.