Strings of Music

At the age of 9, I used to imagine myself as a vocalist and lead guitarist of my own rock band. I always dreamed of what it will be like to become famous and popular.  I was thinking that being in or having a music band means you are special, cool, awesome, and loved by everyone. When in the stage, all eyes and ears are on you. People wanted to hear you music, saying words of praise. They will also looked up on you and even dreamed of becoming like you, able to play different musical instruments, playing, and singing full of confidence.

As I grow older, that dream inspired me to learn how to play the guitar. One of the funny things I remembered was that my fingers were a little short and I couldn’t reach the fret board. When I strummed on the neck of the guitar, my fingers were very numb and painful. That didn’t stop me.  My dream of becoming a lead guitarist drove me to practice more and more.  I even have chipped fingernails and calloused finger pads. 

After a year of practicing, I can finally play the guitar! Yes, I really made it. I can sing and play the guitar. I was never lonely. I used to sing on the branches of our guava tree. And there, I let myself out, singing at the top of my voice. It was like being one with your guitar and music. I felt really great.

Years have passed and I realized that our guava tree is dying. Her leaves have withered and the fruits are turning brown. Gone are the buzzing bees hovering over her flowers. The birds peeking on her ripe fruits just passed by, not even saying thank you for the sweet fruits she had once tasted. The saddest thing, not only the guava tree is dying, but my dream.

As I entered Junior High School, I was becoming more busy each day. I was involved in poster-making competitions. I expressed myself to more colourful work. Then, it hit me. No matter how many times I won those poster-making contests, I’m still not a winner after all. I completely lost. I allow myself to dream of something far beyond reality; worst of all,  I conditioned myself that I can be someone I cannot.

I should have controlled myself. Yes, dreaming big is not a  mortal sin. It is our dream that defines us in the future. We do things today because we knew that someday we can be what we want. But sometimes, dreaming is just a figment of our imagination, no more, no less. We dream of becoming a celebrity, a famous speaker, an astronaut, a mathematics genius, and even being the president. That’s why it is called dream because when the clock alarms, you’ll wake up from those fantasies.

            Now, I realized that I wanted to play the guitar because I love playing and singing. It is my passion. I can express my emotions through the lyrics and chords. I can never be lonely. My guitar will always keep my company. Secondly, I love to draw and colour pictures. I’m not doing this to become famous or be rewarded, but because I want to express my thoughts and emotions through colourful art.

Prizes received during competitions are just tangible things. Yes, they made me happy; people recognized my work, but it's the feeling of being able to play my favourite song or being able to express my ideas that makes me one of the happiest people in the world.

Passion de Guitarra

The moment I gazed upon a guitar, my world was turned upside down. My mind was blown away by its beauty, like a singer turned into a dancer, sugar becoming salt, and black turning white. I was on fire! When a single chord is struck and rings into my eardrum, it feels like I’m in another dimension in a snap, a single snap that changes my thoughts, actions, and my personality, turning my simple life into something extremely extraordinary.

           

            This life-changing event happened during my childhood years. As young as I was, people expect me to do what a child normally does, but my heart and mind was already captured not by childish play, but passion for music. 

            Every moment I spent with my guitar is as clear as ice in my mind. I can even remember that instance when I was playing with my kitchen set in our living room. I was into that game of pretend, pretending I was a little chef, but as I look up, there hanging at the corner was an old guitar. I didn't even mind it all! Why? Because I thought that I'm too young to play it, my fingers were too little, and it might be heavy to carry. But when my father unhook it from that pointy nail from the wall and started playing with the strings, I knew for sure that playing guitar is what I will like most.

            Time passed by so fast, seeds grown into trees and flowers into fruits, as I was into an adolescent. That old guitar has been broken, mended, painted, and played. No matter how old it is, the melody that flew in the air is as sweet as honey and pure as gold. My fingers had been swollen, fingernails chipped, and finger pads callused, but the more I endured those pain, the better I have become.

I almost wanted to give up. Picking those strings is not an easy game. I cannot reach the fret board especially in fretted chords. My fingers were sore and painful when I forced my fingers to hold the strings to go beyond what I can do. Despite the pain, I’m still triumphant!

Those hurdles I encountered are challenges that all guitarists had also experienced. A guitarist can't be a guitarist when he/she doesn't experience those things, for you cannot taste the sweetness of success if you cannot experience the bitterness of sacrifice. In other words, you cannot hear the sweetness of a guitar’s melody if you haven’t experience a callused finger.

Here’s a simple lesson I learned from playing guitar. I called it “WAN”: widen your patience, always, as in always, trust in yourself, and never ever, ever lose hope. Learning how to play a guitar is not a joke. It requires a lot of patience, time, and effort.

Learning is fun, right? And I do believe that playing is also the best part in all things. It is the most special and awesome scene of all the stresses and stumbling blocks I have—the part where I can play it wholeheartedly. Playing the guitar without pausing and free of worry and confusion of the chords as the rhythm transitions is a real and actual achievement. The first time I plucked my G-chord is the moment of truth that I have been waiting. G-D-Em-C are the four noble chords that made my guitar’s history outstanding and remarkably unique.

Bakit Ba, in English Why, is a song by the Filipino band Siakol in the year 1994. It is the first song that I actually learned to play. I learned that song from my brother who is a fan of their music, and I was influenced by him. Some people said that song doesn't fit my personality. Bakit ba for them is not a song, but merely a nuisance. For me, music is something that needs to be appreciated, or should I say, something we should appreciate. If they do not appreciate that song, then I do. If others cannot, someone will.

Sangue is my guitar’s name. It means blood in Italian language. I baptized my guitar with this very unique name because in entering the world of strings, you have to first undergo bloody obstacles of finger pads swelling and bleeding. If exercise is for the body, reading is for the mind, then my guitar is my sangue, my blood.

Passion de Guitarra

The moment I gazed upon a guitar, my world was turned upside down. My mind was blown away by its beauty, like a singer turned into a dancer, sugar becoming salt, and black turning white. I was on fire! When single chord is struck and rings into my eardrum, it feels like I’m in another dimension in a snap, a single snap that changes my thoughts, actions, and my personality, turning my simple life into something extremely extraordinary.

           

            This life-changing event happened during my childhood years. As young as I was, people expect me to do what a child normally does, but my heart and mind was already captured not by childish play, but passion for music. My entire being was caught by the arpeggiated one.

            Every moment I spent with my guitar is as clear as ice in my mind. I can even remember that moment when I was playing with my kitchen set in our living room. I was into that game of pretend, pretending I was a little chef, but as I look up, there hanging at the corner was an old guitar. I didn't even mind it all! Why? Because I thought that I'm too young to play it, my fingers are too little, and it might be heavy to carry. But when my father unhook it from that pointy nail from the wall and started playing with the strings, I knew for sure that playing guitar is what I like most.

            Time passed by so fast, seeds grown into trees and flowers into fruits, as I was into an adolescent. That old guitar has been broken, mended, painted, and played. No matter how old it is, the melody that flew in the air is as sweet as honey and pure as gold. My fingers had been swollen, fingernails chipped, and finger pads callused, but the more I endured those pain, the better I have become.

I almost wanted to give up. Picking those strings is not an easy game. I cannot reach the fret board especially in fretted chords. My fingers were sore and painful when I forced my fingers to hold the strings, to go beyond what I can do. Despite the pain, I’m still triumphant!

Those hurdles I encountered are challenges that all guitarists had also experienced. A guitarist can't be a guitarist when he/she doesn't experience those things, for you cannot taste the sweetness of success if you cannot experience the bitterness of sacrifice. In other words, you cannot hear the sweetness of a guitar’s melody if you haven’t experience a callused finger.

Here’s a simple lesson I learned from playing guitar. I called it “WAN”: widen your patience, always, as in always, trust in yourself, and never ever, ever lose hope. Learning how to play a guitar is not a joke. It requires a lot of patience, time, and effort.

Learning is fun, right? And I do believe that playing is also the best part in all things. It is the most special and awesome scene of all the stresses and stumbling blocks I have—the part where I can play it wholeheartedly. Playing the guitar without pausing and free of worry and confusion of the chords as the rhythm transitions is a real and actual achievement. The first time I plucked my G-chord is the moment of truth that I have been waiting. G-D-Em-C are the four noble chords that made my guitar’s history outstanding and remarkably unique.

Bakit Ba in English Why is a song by the Filipino band Siakol in the year 1994. It is the first song that I actually learned how to play. I learned that song from my brother who is a fan of their music, and I was influenced by him. Some people said that song doesn't fit my personality for Bakit ba for them is not a song, but merely a nuisance. I didn't even bother to hear their nuisance. For me, music is something that needs to be appreciated, or should I say, something we should appreciate. If they do not appreciate that song, I do. If others cannot, someone will.

Sangue is my guitar’s name. It means blood in Italian language. I baptized my guitar with this very unique name because in entering the world of strings, you have to first undergo bloody obstacles of finger pads swelling and bleeding. If exercise is for the body, reading is for the mind, then my guitar is my sangue, my blood.