Colleen and David are Austin-bound

Came home to discover that Colleen Reilly (Reilly, like the life of Reilly is how she introduced herself), my music teacher, is moving to Austin, Texas, a place she called guitar heaven. Boyfriend and her drummer, David, is heading there, too.

So cool. I'm really happy for them. But now I'm once again looking for a teacher. And I won't hear Colleen say anymore, "Hey John, check it out..." then have her ripping through some licks.

I met Colleen (and subsequently David) when just on a whim I ducked into Jack's Drum Shop in Boston. I don't know how many times I passed by, but never went in because, well, it's a drum shop and I'm a geetar picker. But one day Sue and I dropped into the Jack's down in Hyannis, having seen some guitars through the windows, and Sue bought her guitar there so I thought I'd check out the Boston scene.

That first day I was just hanging out and overheard them talking about lessons. I started talking to them and everything seemed cool so right then and there I signed up for lessons, taking my first lesson that night on a guitar I borrowed from the store.

Colleen is pretty cool. Our lessons tended to ramble around a bit, mostly because I think she and I both have a tendency to sort of just follow where things lead. But I learned some pretty cool things about my "instrument" as she calls a guitar, and she got me into song-writing, so I have a lot to thank her for.

Wishing both of them good luck, and hoping some day they get that big record contract.

Jack's Drum Shop/new music teacher

Killing time yesterday and walked up Bolyston toward Mass. Ave. thinking I'll check out some of the music stores. Knew about Jack's Drum Shop from the store in Hyannis, so I stopped in.

Obviously, from the the name they don't have a lot of guitars. There was a Jasmine, exactly like Sue bought in Hyannis, and another low-end guitar. A few more in the window. That was it.

Got to talking to I guess it was the manager. He's kind of gruff and easy-going at the same time. Heard him say something about lessons to someone else and I asked about them. It's hard to replicate the conversation, because it was peppered with verbal jabs and feints, but the upshot was that he said the teacher was a Berklee grad and would be coming in soon, so I could talk to her if she had some extra time. I sat on a speaker and strummed and waited, and in a while a woman came in who I had noticed before sitting in a corner of the store. We talked, and I had a good feel for the whole thing, and signed up four lessons, borrowed one of their guitars and had my first lesson last night.

Music is a passion. I get up in the morning and after turning on the computer and getting a cup of coffee, I then put on some music. I'm listening to music as I type this. (Nanci Griffith, Country Gold) I got this from my father, who listened to everything...well, except rock. There's so much to learn, and I don't find it daunting at all...as a matter of fact it excites me to know that there's so much to learn.