Juiceboxx

As promised, here is some video from last Saturday's recital from Tune Inn Academy, where the kids take piano lessons, and where I have been taking guitar lessons for two years.

The dad of one of Peter's friends had been taking guitar lessons there, too, and we had agreed last winter that we'd go onstage together. Even had a name for ourselves -- OGWG (Old Guys With Guitars). Alas, he had to drop out a couple of months ago due to a work conflict, and that left me. My teacher, the owner of Tune Inn, thought I'd drop out of the recital. But I stayed with it. I've long dreamed of playing on stage, and I knew this might be my only chance.

I embraced it enough to give myself a Guitarist Name.

Eric Clapton is Slow Hand. Saul Hudson is Slash. Me? I'm Juiceboxx.

The whole family was involved in this recital. The owner even asked Isabel to introduce some performers and make announcements.

Here's Catherine, playing "Pet Parade":

Here's John playing "Loch Lomond," a sad, slow song about a Scotsman who misses home:

And now, Peter playing "Thunderstorm":

Peter also played some drums. The owner of the school teaches piano, guitar, and drums, and always ends the recital with a drum line. This year, she only had two drum students available, so she asked three others (including Peter) to join.

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But, really, you're all waiting to hear Juiceboxx, aren't you?

I actually performed before the kids did. I had asked my teacher to put me on early, because I was just a tad nervous and didn't want to wait around. As you will see in the video, it took us a while to get going. I was the second guitar player to perform, but the first one with an acoustic guitar, so I needed to have a pick up (basically a microphone) attached to my guitar. I stuck it on pretty good, and then my teacher needed to adjust the amp. Then she couldn't find her pick, so I discreetly gave her my spare. It's a full minute into the video before we actually start performing.

And then, when we start, she reaches back to adjust the amp volume, and hits the cord for my pick-up, knocking it off my guitar. We need to stop and start again. (To which I say, out loud, "Like I wasn't already nervous..." Apparently the students aren't supposed to talk, since I was the only one who did all afternoon. Age had its privileges.)

And then we finally played -- a tune called "Juiceboxx Blues," which we composed together. (Mostly her.) I play rhythm and she plays lead. The sound isn't great, but I thought we did OK. And it isn't really a blues song, but I liked the name.

While they were setting up for the drum line, Isabel read some announcements that the owner had written. Among them was a very special congraulations to a student who had enough courage to get up on stage despite his advanced height (not age). The crowd gave me an extra round of applause, which was very nice.

My first -- and quite possibly my last -- public performance, and I get a second round of applause. In the retelling, I'll say it was a demand for an encore.

Juiceboxx/Lympho Bob finally got to live the Rock n' Roll Dream.....