Rockstar in Training

So last night I stayed late at work because of a "rush" project for a client. Weston and Shannon came by to visit me when I took a dinner break. Someone at work had guitar hero set up on their machine, so I played it a bit when I needed a break. Weston was very excited to try as well. Having pretended to be a "guitar player" for a number of years now, it's no surprise to me that I seemed to pick up on this new digital re-creation of those delusions of grandeur with great vigor. Shannon, having never pretended to play guitar before, did not do so well. She made it 25% through the first song before she was "booed off stage". To give some of you a bearing of reference on her performance (and this isn't meant to be insulting to my wonderful musically inclined wife, but is presented purely in the interest of science), Weston made it 21% before meeting the same fate.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not bagging on the game because it lets you pretend to be a rockstar, it's great. And It does take some skill that may or may not be related to actual musical talent. Anyone unfamiliar with the game should check out this video. From what I gather this is the hardest song, on the hardest difficultly level.



If anything, playing a bit of Guitar Hero, along with some Rockband (a competing game that equips you with a mic and drumset in addition to the "guitar") with my young men, has inspired me to play my guitar a bit more than I have in the past year. I think there are two other important contributions to the newly forming calluses on the fingertips of my left hand: 1) Wynn Burton. 2) Location, Location, Location.

Let's Address #1.
My friend at work, who started back in August, plays the actual guitar "just like he's ringing a bell." My second guitar (shout out to Will Fisher for the hookup, MTX sticker and all) sits by my desk at work. Wynn has taken to playing it from time to time and it just makes me happy. So I pick it up probably once a day and just plink around a bit between rendering video files, and waiting for conference calls.

Reason # 2
Now, as you faithful readers know, things are changing at our house. With the long awaited arrival of the new baby chair, coupled with Weston switching rooms, my guitar now sits in its stand out in the den. Before it was in the "spare room" . In any case... out of sight, out of mind. Now that it's within reach of the comfy chair, and the computer, chances of me picking it up have greatly increased.

I do enjoy playing. Its just one of those things I need to devote more effort into if I want to progress any further with it.