A Wrap and a Life Lesson...

The last guitar class today.  I brought a truss rod wrench and adjusted the relief on one kid's guitar (he was getting a fret buzz).  Everyone was reasonably close to in tune as we started the class.  We reviewed a few things from the last class, then I showed them how to play a song that one boy wanted to learn.  Then, to wrap things up, another go at the Taylor Swift song Shake It Off.

"Before we play this, can anyone tell me what this song is about?" I asked.  The answers ranged from "It's a fun song" to "It's 3 chords."

"Well, yeah, but what do the lyrics tell you?"  Mostly blank stares.  One girl (who is very quiet) finally said, "Heartbreak."

"Seems to me that a lot of Taylor Swift songs are about heartbreak, but there is a story and a lesson in this song," I said.  "Let's go through the words..."  The song is about what people say about her, but she is smart enough to... Shake It Off.  In other words, don't let what people say about you define you - know who you are and let any insults roll off.

Who would have ever thought I'd be quoting Taylor Swift as a life philosophy?  At this age, these kids are very aware of what other people think.

When we finished with the Gravity Cruisers program, the kids all wrote out thank-you notes to the adults who helped them.  I told Steph yesterday that there was no need for thank-you notes when we were done with the guitar classes... "Too late, they have been working on them."

So, as we wrapped things up, they gave me a gift and hand-made cards from each of them.  There is no doubt in my mind that Steph was behind the gift: a wooden pick holder in the shape of an acoustic guitar body...

Very nice.  When most of the class had headed out, one girl asked if she could get a photo with me - "Hey, let's get everyone who is left in the photo," I suggested...

Good kids.  Well, they could put in a bit more practice time, but they are all nice kids.  I hope some of them stick with the lessons... I have faith in a couple of them.  In one card I received, the young man said when he gets rich and famous as a rock star, he will give me a bunch of money.  Yeah, that would be real nice.  ;-)