June 15th: Beginning of my life

The beginning of my life

“Bought a bouzouki, had a good laugh, saw bikers everywhere”

Yesterday was my last gig with my high school; there is no way to express how relieved I am that I have passed this milestone. Next step, real life!

Or so most people tell me. It is nice to wake up in the morning and not have to think about the homework I need to complete for Monday, or fight with the school site to find my grades. I didn't even have to boot my computer up today, but I did out of choice.

Vintage Fret Shop, look it up if you are even in Ashland New Hampshire. Ashaland is on the north western side of lake winnipesaki, and well worth the drive for a laid back, back woods feel to the place. There are no straight highways through the place, and I'm pretty sure that there are more moose than people up there. Anyhow, the Vintage Fret Shop was a beautiful little place; I got the feeling that it was going to be nice inside the moment I opened the door. Mainly because a guitar had been rigged above the door set to strum out a chord by the door's opening and closing. So cool.

I had come all the way up to the shop to check out the bouzouki that they had advertized they had in the store. I had called in earlier today, and, after leaving a message, got a call back within fifteen minutes of my initial call. They gave me an example of what the bouzouki sounded like over the phone, and after I gave the man some feedback, he reserved it for me until I got to the shop.

The bouzouki is a Trinity College Irish Bouzouki, solid spruce top, with about 27” of string length, from top knot to bridge. The thing plays wonderfully, without a scratch on it or anything. The cross at the head of it is a little much for me, but overall, it was well worth the money I paid for it (which was more than reasonable, I might add). I am not a bouzouki player yet, but I thought I would get my hands on one and try it out, just to get my fingers working on something or other.

While I was checking out some of the other instruments (guitars, banjos, violins, bodhrans, and the like), I came across quite the character. He was in his seventies, playing a banjo like there was no tomorrow. Naturally, I nosed in, and decided to preen his life story from him. He has been playing banjo and guitar for the past fifty years, going from occupation to occupation through that time. He showed me how to strum, pick, and understand the basics of a banjo, and I found that the instrument was more beautiful, and simple than I had thought before. He showed me a couple of chords, and then played a song on the guitar while I fingerpicked the banjo along with him. He can sing really well, by the way. I thanked him for showing me how to play the banjo, and soon made my purchase, and hit the road.