I'm Saying Hello Just To Say Goodbye

What a day of mixed emotions. Today was the day I had my last lessons with Mr. Hii and Mr. Justus. I didn't really think about it before today. I knew it was coming but I didn't dwell on it or really look forward to it. Me and Mr. Hii just talked for our hour lesson. He told me what I needed to do to put myself above the rest of the classical guitar world. What pieces I should play. What I should be listening to. I agree with everything he said. While me and Mr. Hii have our differences, I still do listen to everything he says with an open mind. He gave me the music to Barrios's Preludio op. 5, no. 1. I love that piece so much. Barrios's Bach influence really shines through. He also gave me the music to Mertz's Harmonie Du Soir. My good friend Jesse Goodwin plays this song with such great passion. Mr. Hii said that if I could grab his passion and mix it with my technique and cleanliness, I would be untouchable. A good last lesson. But something happened when I walked out the door. Remember that feeling you got when 3 o clock hit and the last day of your 5th grade year? How stoked you were to finally be done with elementary and moving onto the big middle school? EXACT FEELING. I was walking back to my car just smiling and laughing. I nearly bursted with happiness.

After teaching my students, it was time to make my final trip to Carroll High school. The lesson went as usual. Just me and Mr. Justus talking about random things. He told me that he named a diminished scale "The Razzy Scale" so all his kids would want to learn it. We played through one last jazz song and I headed out the door. While he was grabbing all his stuff, I stood in the hallway and just kinda looked around. That hallway was my home during high school. I would skip out on eating lunch and go practice there. I would lie to my teachers to skip class and go practice there. I would practice there before school started. I had 1st period off my senior year and would just practice around there. I had my one specific spot that I would always sit that I looked at for a few seconds. So many friends and girlfriends/girls of interest sat right to the left of me. Just an incredible amount of memories have come from that hallway. Memories I truley never will forget. I thanked him for everything. He's been my teacher for 5 years now. I will always look at him as the guy that changed my life. Had it not been for him, I would never have gotten into classical guitar or pursued music as a career. He will always be my teacher and if there is ever a point to where I have to thank people or credit people to the potential success I may have, he will always be the first one I acknowledge. I can finally say goodbye to Carroll High School.

I played at Starbucks this past friday again. It was nice. Good ol pal Phillip Hand and Ricky showed up to watch as well as a pretty lady named Bianca. I met the manager Monica and she got all my info because she wants to promote me and the open mic night. So I'm officially going to be playing there every friday night. My set went well. Strings were fresh. One of the barista girls asked if I needed some ice to cool off my fingers. Then I actually saw one of the girls at a friends house the next night. That's Corpus Christi.

No Use For A Name-Pacific Standard Time

What is this the 5th time I talk about No Use For A Name? They're not my favorite band, but I for some reason like to talk about them. Anyway, I saw this video posted up on punknews, told myself not to watch it and then it got me thinking of all the albums I refuse to listen to due to the bad memories they carry. Not that I have a meltdown when I hear them, but I just don't like to be reminded of some things. So I've come up with the list in no particular order.

1. No Use For A Name-The Feel Good Record Of The Year
2. Thrice-Water
3. Thrice-Air
4. Thrice-Earth
5. Smoke Or Fire-This Sinking Ship
6. Lagwagon-Let's Talk About Feelings
7. Bad Astronaut-Acrophobe
8. Bad Astronaut-12 Small Steps
9. Bad Astronaut-Houston: We Have A Drinking Problem
10. The Gaslight Anthem-The 59' Sound
11. The Swellers-My Everest
12. Pedro The Lion-Achilles Heel
13. The Draft-In A Million Pieces
14. Much The Same-Survive
15. Audio Karate-Lady Melody
16. No Use For A Name-Hard Rock Bottom
17. Polar Bear Club-Sometimes Things Just Disappear
18. Hit The Switch-Domestic Tranquility and Social Justice

That's about all I can think of for right now. Damn, mentioning some of those makes me really want to listen to them. I used to feel this way about a lot of albums too. But it wasn't until 3 or 4 years later to where I was ok with remeniscing.

I'm in love with life right now. I can't even explain why either. I'm just super happy with everything. I finally got new music for the first time in nearly a year so. I forgot this sweet feeling to have new music. To have a new project. It's exciting and I've already learned the first page to the Barrios prelude. I have to be in San Francisco August 18th. Start a countdown!