So, a few posts back, I talked about the things that I wanted to accomplish in this new year. It mostly had to do with checking things off my bucket list, living fearlessly, and believing that the word “impossible” is subject to personal opinion.

As a child my mother exposed me to many different types of music. I credit her for helping me to appreciate all the genres. From playing car games where you needed to name an instrument before you were able to exit the car to listening to Delilah, a popular radio host in the U.S..

It was also my mother who took me, along with my siblings, to church. And one of the many things that I can remember about attending those tiny store front establishments were the kids playing instruments. Seeing someone’s son or even a daughter go ham on the drums or guitar or keyboard was always exciting. But also one of those things that seemed outside my grasp.

That was until this year. Over the years I have picked up two acoustic guitars and put them down just as quickly. Never sticking with it long enough to do more than learn a song or two and then totally forget everything and have those hard-won calluses peel away. This is by no means a new thing. Every so often a fire will burn for a new hobby and I dive in wholeheartedly only to grow tired of it after a month or two. My mom has mentioned that this particular trait came from my dad.

I’ve grown used it and will say I hoped that this time would be different. This time, I had a goal. I wanted to be able to play Christmas songs with my friends by November and figured that if I paid for lessons I would be more likely to take it seriously. It worked like a charm…for a time. From January to April I went in. I found this cool dude who taught me how to play Stevie Wonder, Classic Jpop songs, Blues scales, and the like. Through these lessons I was connected to a Japanese family. The father was an excellent guitarist and the wife was a vocal coach. Along with their elementary aged daughter we would have jam sessions directly following my normal bass lessons with the other cool dude.

I’m sure I annoyed every neighbor in hearing distance with how many times I played and practiced Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” or Spitz’s “Kimi ga omoide ni Naru Maeni”. Now, its been five months and I have picked up my bass once. Once. I will get back to it soon…ish.