I got this guitar when I turned 12 (or the day after I turned 12, seeing as I'm a Christmas Eve baby and this was my Christmas present that year) under the impression that I'd learn to play it and totally master guitar playing. Well that impression was somewhat of an illusion because I didn't self-teach the way I thought I would and I've never been a great guitarist or musician. Roman, he's different; he observes in a way that musicians do, he has this passion and curiosity to music that I've never had. I enjoy music, but I do not enjoy being a part of the music. I'm too clumsy and heavy handed. Hence why I gave my musical brother this guitar.
When I was 13 or 14 I auditioned at school for drum lessons, simply because no other girl would. I didn't really want to learn to play the drums nor did I believe for one second that I would understand a single instruction or enjoy the drums...I just wanted to show the teachers that girls could play drums, too. Well that didn't go very well for me. The teacher grabbed some drum sticks, placed them into my hands and told me to tap along to the rhythm they played out on their guitar. At first I froze and on my second attempt I messed up big style. The teacher didn't rush or panic me, he waited and waited where most adults gave up on me but when the audition was over he told me I wouldn't be getting lessons because I wasn't 'good enough' to be taught. Ever since that incident, and giving up on my guitar (I wasn't disciplined enough to self-learn and didn't have enough money to take classes), I've given up on ever being musical.
My family is arty, creative, technical and musical - all of the things I am not and will never be, so it is a little odd to see that I haven't inherited these over powering genes but that Roman displays genuine abilities with music. He watches people playing the piano and imitates their movements, his fingers reaching for keys to lightly play out specially formulated Roman tunes instead of the usual toddler fist pump. On the first day we were in Thurso Roman spotted this guitar and made a beeline for it, not afraid to lift it up and start strumming straight away. Where I'd take a step back, he takes giant leaps forward. Where I'm not musical, my son is. My little guitar boy, my little music man.
