I had high hopes that having learning to play guitar as my inquiry project would be enough to motivate me to pick up my guitar EVERY day! I tried to follow the advice of the websites I visited, but I was still not getting to my guitar every single day, even for the ’10 minutes’ recommended to me by one site. One of my classmates, Zach, on hearing that playing guitar was my inquiry project offered to help me if I needed any help. Feeling at a loss, I followed him up on his offer. He suggested I go to the website Ultimate Guitar and download easy songs that I like, Lenard Cohen’s Hallelujah (a classic!) was one he suggested.
Funny enough, when I had started to play the guitar again 2 years ago, I had started with the Ultimate Guitar website and Hallelujah was one of the first songs that I had downloaded and practiced. At that time, my guitar practice time would be at night when everyone had gone up to bed and I would sit at the bottom of the stairs and play Hallelujah for my partner and son as a bedtime lullaby. They are always so kind to me and would tell me how lovely it sounded.
I was thankful for Zach’s advice as it reminded me of what had worked for me in the past. I went online and went to Ultimate Guitar (I had already paid a yearly subscription fee that has been instantly renewing) and downloaded Sarah Hammer’s The Basement Apartment
and Lucinda Williams’ Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.
Thanks Zach for the advice and the reminder that it is always good to reach out to those around you who have unique skills and abilities. It makes me think about the importance of how building a classroom community where students can do that with each other, and I with them.
Okay, enough of writing this blog and time to go practice The Basement Apartment and Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.
