So I recently decided to learn the banjo. . .

I would be remiss if I didn’t state that I have always had a bit of the musical wanderlust.  As a result I have found myself behind a lot of different instruments in my years of playing.  One that I have always wanted to learn, but only recently got around to buying, is the banjo.  It’s kind of strange, but the reason I ever became interested was a little toy banjo that I had as a teenager. . . yeah, I still played with toys. . . anyway, you would press a button and it would play a little banjo lick.  It was really cool sounding to me, what with all those notes being played in such rapid succession.  In my search for some direction on the banjo, I stumbled across this video on YouTube by a guy named Patrick.  If you want to see a truly great teacher in action, and learn a little banjo in the process, check out the video.

My Aunt Tilly, a lifelong teacher, always contended that teachers are born rather than made.  This is something I have found to be true, but I always wondered what it is that granted validity to her statement.  Here is my best guess: it’s the desire to share something that brings you joy.  It could be anything from music and art to history and (dare I say it) math, but I think at the heart of it all is passion for one’s craft and an equal love of passing that joy to others.  For me, I love teaching music lessons because it is like learning all over again.  I have run into a lot of musicians that teach only because “the band hasn’t taken off yet,” and while they are fantastic performers, their heart is not in teaching.  As a result, their students suffer. . . which really bums me out. That’s why it’s very cool to see someone like Patrick, who is so amazing at his instrument(s), have the patience to do those “easy things” over and over again so that someone else can enjoy them.  Needless to say, I am inspired and humbled.  You can check his blog out here.  Sorry, didn’t mean to preach.