imperfection is humbling

Yes, it is.  Whether tinkering with the glitches in the software I used to build my newly updated web site or the guitarist playing publicly, imperfection is humbling.

Of course I want my web site to reflect the personal standard of excellence to which I hold myself, and that I hope I instill in my students. When a software glitch prevents me from editing a random graphic or closing up space that shouldn't be between paragraphs, it frustrates me no end.  So, if you have visited the new GuitarTechniqueTutor.Com web site, and have seen those flaws,  i know about them and will eliminate them as soon as I can.    

Depending on someone else - in this case, a software developer, who has created a very functional, quite good html editor - is such a challenge.   I'm hoping I will have a resolution today, but it may be next week.  And the whole time, in the back of my mind I will be wondering how many eyes saw the web site and think I am less competent than I am, because of it.  

It's the same thing with playing guitar.  I'm getting a particular group of young, inexperienced  students ready to perform in the spring.  Some of them have performed before and others  don't realize what adrenalin will do to them, when they sit on stage to play.  Some of them are playing with other people and in addition to the adrenalin challenge, will finally understand why I have been constantly reminding them to count and become a human metronome - even playing by themselves, but especially when playing with others. 

I'm encouraging them not to be concerned about anyone else's preparation, and just to be well practiced, themselves.  I'd like them over-practiced, so muscle memory will take over when nerves distract them.  It won't be anyone else's fault when they miss a chord change, or "invent alternate" music on the spot.  (read: "miss notes") 

I am virtually certain that every one of them will make some "mistake" in their performances.  It may anything from playing a wrong note, to not playing at the same tempo as others are playing or singing, to totally blanking out and freezing.  It may sound callous, but they'll live. 

It will embarrass them, and they will feel like the time they are on stage is the longest minutes they have ever spent.  But they will not only live through it, but most importantly they will learn.

So, the next time your web site doesn't look exactly right, or the next time you play less well than you did during practice and are filled with remorse/regret/frustration/embarrassment etc., learn from it.  That's how we grow as people and musicians.  

  ~ D A Arlaus, "doing my part to spread the excellence, one guitarist at a time."

New Year, New Web Site

I've been on a blog hibernation for quite a while.  Life happens and there just weren't enough hours in the day.  For reasons too numerous to recount, I've redesigned my web site, GuitarTechniqueTutor.Com, from scratch.  The content has remained basically the same.  I hope to take it live later tonight or by the very latest Wednesday. 

I had the learn new software, because Adobe CC was prohibitively expensive for my purpose.  I'd hoped to launch the new site in December, but as I already wrote,  life happens.

Here's wishing everyone a resounding 2018.

Indefinitely Suspended

I have been  conflicted about whether to keep this blog online and get back to posting on it, or just leaving it up but dormant.

It's been nearly a year and a half since I have written anything and prioritizing the important things in my life will preclude me from blogging for the foreseeable future.

I won't delete Guitar Technique Tutor,  but for now, consider this blog non-active.  The old podcast episodes will remain up and if there is something major I feel compelled to write about, I'll do it here.

closing out the year

This is my last post for 2014, and so late!!

I expected to blog over the past couple weeks, but E-Rex needed surgery, unexpectedly, so that threw all schedules off and into a tizzy.  Then, as he recovered, I fell to the forces of burdensome responsibilities and no sleep - I was down with a rough sore throat and cold right through Christmas.  So, although I wanted to blog about gift giving and some dreamy guitars that came across my radar, I was on the DL.  We're both much better now and I expect to be keeping to a "regular" (whatever that is) blogging schedule with the advent of the new year. 

The web site has been freshened up. I know there a few wonky buttons, but they are not functionally wonky - just graphically so.  I'll tidy them up next week.  I renders find on my iPad and iPhone, as well as on my Mac & E-Rex's PC, so you shouldn't have any difficulty viewing it.  

If you recall, I was planning to move the web hosting for the GuitarTechniqueTutor.Com web site to a different one from the long time host.  After fully familiarizing myself with the new host's offerings, I concluded that if my site were brand new, I'd consider using them, but since my web site has been up in its various iterations for quite a while, there would be too much compromise in layout and content to reconstruct the site at the planned hosting company.  So, I'm still with my tried and true hosting company.  

This is the time of year to contemplate your playing strengths and weaknesses.  Make a play to conquer some of the playing or musicianship challenges that have beset you in the past.  Set some realistic goals and work toward them. Improve your weak areas, learn a new technique, acquaint yourself with another genre that you don't play much, etc.  I, for one, am looking forward to this new year.  (More like I can't wait to close the book on 2014. It was a rough one for me.)    

Thanks for reading. 

Happy 2015!!

Practice, and until next time, I'm D A Arlaus, "doing my part to spread the excellence, one guitarist at a time."