I've been learning guitar for the last 8-10 months, regularly for the last 4 or 5. I've been playing guitar during lunch time at work and since then I have met lots of people. One being Chris - he has been playing guitar for over 20 years and his is really good. He brings his guitar about once a week and plays with me - he usually stops by and teaches me a new song or helps me out.
Chris is a "flat picker" - if you don't know what that means it is a term used in bluegrass to describe the kind of guitar playing usually used in it. He plays in a band called "The Grasshoppers" and they played at Meadowlark Landing in Wilkesboro tonight. I told him weeks ago that I wanted to go see him play there and about two weeks ago, when we were talking about it he said - "bring your guitar"... Naturally, my next question was "why?" He went on to tell me that he would call me up and have me play something. I thought he was joking at first...he wasn't.
My youngest son and I went to see them tonight, and I brought my guitar AND I found myself playing a "Nine Pound Hammer" for about 40 people on stage during a break. It didn't go so well, but it's one more under my belt (that makes two). After the performance I got to play R.G.'s Burchette - (a "Grand Soloist") what a guitar! They just about had to pry it from my hands...
All night I couldn't help thinking how I ended up where I was - in the Carolina foothills, at a genuine bluegrass performance - watching people just get up and start dancing. It was great stuff, fun to watch and me and my son had a great time.
But, I certainly wasn't in Kansas anymore...
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