I’m Allan. I live in Port Hardy, BC, and I decided to buy an electric guitar for my 60th birthday. I bought a Squier Affinity and have been practicing a mere seven weeks. (I see there is at least one other guy from Vancouver Island.)
Grew up in Vermont, moved to New York City in 1987 and worked as a freelance music critic for eight years. (I have no idea why I never thought seriously of playing guitar before.) I’ve written two books of baseball history. My wife and I moved to the Toronto area in 2005 and then to this small town on the west coast in late 2018 (my wife took a job here as a librarian). We have two dogs (our 7th and 8th dogs).
Now that’s kind of interesting. I’m an avid reader of baseball history – I checked out your books on amazon. Dude, you’re a long way from Red Sox Nation! (As am I, but in the other direction. Now living in Italy.)
Hey, you should combine your music and baseball chops in a new book: Three Songs to the Title: How Tessie, Dirty Water and (ahem) Sweet Caroline Brought the Red Sox a World Series Title.
Welcome Allan. Keep practicing and don’t be too critical of yourself
My wife and I travelled through Vancuver Island in the late 1990s - great place. Went whale watching at Telegraph Cove (good song title or band name that!). Happy to pass on any tips or help as you start your guitar journey.
Welcome to the forum Allan. That’s going to be fun having a music critic amongst us. I’m imagining an ear for deconstructing things alongside an encyclopaedic knowledge of genres! What kind of music are you attracted to playing on guitar?
Thanks for the warm welcome, everybody!!!
I would like to play the music I’ve loved for decades.
Stones, AC/DC, Husker Du/Bob Mould, Replacements, REM, White Stripes, X, power pop/new wave stuff, etc.
Rhythm guitar especially. I don’t have much desire to play lead stuff (at this point).
Progress is slow, but I fully understand that. I’m willing to put in the time. Even before I got the guitar, I could imagine myself practicing and trying to get things right. What I could not picture (at all) was actually playing something . . . I really want to see what that’s like.
Plans for my 60s:
Write the baseball book I’m currently researching (any literary agents out there )
Keep practicing guitar and see what happens . . .
Enjoy a slow, in-depth journey through Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time”
Hi Allan, always a pleasure to welcome a fellow Old Dog to the Community. By the time you’ve completed lesson 2 of module 1 in Justin’s beginners course you’ll be able to play two chords, with which you can start to learn songs!
I stopped the music writing around 1994 (which doesn’t seem like nearly THIRTY YEARS AGO, but that’s what the math says), so I don’t know how astute my ears are now! I think I’ll stick to learning here rather than passing judgment.
Hi Allan, welcome to the community forum. We got two dogs last year which changed my morning schedule. Now I walk our two dogs first, then I can go and practice guitar.
Have fun making music on the guitar and not just listening.
Welcome to the Community…I wish you a lot of fun and many enjoyable hours with your electric guitar! 
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