I joined Justin Guitar August 6, 2016.
After I retired 2015, I decided it would help keep my brain sparkly and be rather nice to learn to play an instrument. The only music lessons I’d had were a brief foray into piano when I was 7. I hated it, so that ended abruptly. I sang in the school choir though and loved that.
My idea was to play a bit and sing at home for my own amusement and the benefit of my brain, nothing more. My two instrument choices were reeds or guitar. Playing reeds and singing? 
So guitar it was. I started with a borrowed dreadnought that had a high action and heavy strings because I wasn’t sure if I’d like guitar. For my first song I wanted to learn how to play American Pie. This is how I found Justin. It was a few months before I joined.
I had no idea of the discovery, delight, challenge and growth that lay ahead.
Some highlights along the way.
January 22, 2018.
I ordered my Custom made guitar. This was my early gift to myself for my 70th birthday in January 2019.
From this, a door made of silky oak for the back and sides, AAA Western Red Cedar for the soundboard.
To this, my beautiful Cedar Clear Sky Ocean Deep.
The luthier has since done a major renovation of this messy area outside his workshop
Here’s Pete the luthier blessing my new guitar.
July 01, 2018
On this day I did something that took me two years to summon enough courage to do. I performed and led a song at our Acoustics Club Pop Up Jam. First time ever. 
August 30, 2018
I posted a recording of Chocolate Jesus in AVOYP, one of Justin’s lessons, https://www.justinguitar.com/songs/tom-waits-chocolate-jesus-chords-tabs-guitar-lesson-bs-222
Then 
I was invited by @RomanS to do a collab with him, same song Beth Hart style Whooooooooooo. Nearly fell off my chair when I read his post. What a brave man you were Roman to take on such a beginner
Till then I’d made it an art form to know nothing about using recording software. I had to bite the bullet and learn how to use a DAW in order to collaborate with Roman and anyone else. My first step was to Google DAW and find out what it meant. 
@Cagn Kevin is the star guitarist here, my simple rhythm guitar opens the song, then is buried in the mix.
November 24, 2019
First Open Mic. A friend sang harmony for one of the two songs. The awful position of my guitar is the result of playing with an injury. Best I could manage.
December 04, 2019
December 1, I performed on stage with a pro muso. The song, Rust to Restoration, was written for me by Skotty Fairclough. I was feeling like a wreck and that I was rusting out with an injury that was stopping me from playing, but there’s no way I was going to miss this opportunity. I could barely reach the 3rd fret and someone had to tune the guitar for me because I couldn’t reach the tuners.
2020
I had to stop playing guitar, so I put my time into learning more about song writing, using a DAW and creating MIDI tracks. Skotty Fairclough who was my in person teacher at the time, said to me “The music is in you, not your guitar, so now is a good time to find another way to express yourself musically.” He plays all the guitar tracks, and sings the male vocal, the rest is mine.
Here’s a piece about the song from my art journal. There’s some of me in each of the tea drinkers.
I bought an electric guitar so I could begin playing while the injuries were healing. His name is Bat.
April 25, 2021
Lockdown ended, so continued with OM’s. This piece of my art journal tells the story of the paralyzing terror and the fierce, determined triumph that was my second OM.
May 23, 2021
Third OM.
June 27, 2021
Fourth OM
BTW @brianlarsen and @adi_mrok it’s glasses in my hand 
July Locked down again, so that was the end of OM’s for 2021.
amazing story and I love this new RC!
It’s taken me a while to look through my Forum RC and pick out the highlights, so many lovely things written there. Lots and lots of good memories of wonderful friendship, understanding, encouragement and celebration. I love you people 
I’m looking forward to the next instalment.
