2016 in review - highlights, triumphs and key learnings - what were yours?

michelew
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Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:49 am

Hi everyone,

This is a companion thread to the '2017 goals' one. I guess I should have posted this first and earlier of course. I find it's sometimes good to look back and think about the things we've experienced and achieved. Sometimes we're so busy doing and trying to improve that we don't realise the progress we've already made. So why don't we take a few minutes to think about our musical adventures during 2016.

What were your highlights, triumphs, and key learnings for 2016?

Highlight - 2016 was a big year for me guitarwise and one I'll remember always. The absolute highlight was attending my first TG camp, meeting my TG friends for the first time in person - Neil, Vanessa, David and Corina in particular. And getting to play music with them. I had an hoot. I've already raved about camp in another thread so I won't recap here.

Triumphs - Again while in the US, facing my performance demons. And producing half an album worth of original songs and covers with my partner in musical crime, my fellow zombie.

Key learnings - No 1. I'm never going to be a person who craves the open mic spotlight :woohoo: and being shown some important gaps in my guitar skills that I need to finally tackle, one of which I've mentioned in the 2017 goals thread.

So now to hand the baton onto the next person. Tell us about your highlights, triumphs and key learnings for 2016.

Michele


spinland
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Mon Jan 16, 2017 7:49 am

Highlight - Realizing that I needed music back in my life.

Triumphs - Picking up a guitar again after many years of neglect and making a commitment to put in the time (and hard work) to playing what's in my head.

Key learnings - There is nothing to fear. Even the most complex fingerpicking pattern is just a variation on three basic ones, and once you know how to deconstruct a song you can own it.


michelew
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Mon Jan 16, 2017 7:51 am

Good answers Mark. You're going to have a fun 2017. :)


spinland
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Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:57 am

michelew wrote:
Good answers Mark. You're going to have a fun 2017. :)
:side:


TGNesh
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Mon Jan 16, 2017 11:47 am

That's another great question Shel! :) Loved reading yours and Mark's.

Highlight - That's camp, even though this last IGC was exhausting to me. I of course loved meeting you, and Dennis and Suzi and Bill and Dennis and everybody else at camp. That alone is a major highlight all by itself.

Triumph - No major triumphs, but I do have little triumphs often. Like, the lessons I record for TG. Every time when I manage to come up with an arrangement for a song, especially the ones that seemed undoable before, I consider that a little triumph. Like for example this past week, I was working on one for which I just couldn't come up with an arrangement for the intro, but I think that I worked it out after all! :cheer: And yes, that feels like a little triumph. :)

Key learnings - In the last decade it has become very clear to me how much I love to teach and nowadays it's my main focus. Still, this year it became crystal clear to me agáin how much I enjoy performing. It's pure happiness to me. Especially the pictures of the open mic's in Seattle show that (and when playing with Dave after dinner at IGC) to me. It's written all over my face. Funny enough, even though performing is nerve wrecking sometimes, it is also so very relaxing to me, since it feels so natural, due to having done it ever since I was a little kid. So it's not really a new key learning, I just realized again. :)

Well something like that... ;)

Ness


michelew
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Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:47 pm

Ness,

Yeh your triumphs are ongoing. I'm constantly impressed with how quickly you can develop a lesson from scratch and that you put new lessons out week after week; and often for songs that you've only just bumped into or that you've never taught on the guitar before.

Teacher/performer - you've definitely got the x-factor. I understand that it's not that common to be really good at both. We see your performance skills every week too. Your playthroughs are always very engaging.

I love your work.

Shel


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neverfoundthetime
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Tue Jan 17, 2017 2:05 pm

I'll try this again, I posted here yesterday, got the confirmation and saw it posted... not there anymore :S (!) so I will try again:

Been a problem for me to do all the things you need to get right in front of the camera and connect with said camera. I don't really bother as I just have my hands full with playing, remembering lyrics, pointing my face into the microphone and camera and trying to see what I am playing and maybe trying to hit a foot switch! :S Not so easy! So Ness said to me, "why are you looking at what you are playing, bet you can do it without looking.... " I didn't think so but, looky there, I am able to do it quite a lot and so its my focus at the mo, being able to play without looking, which means I can sit differently too, maybe a bit more comfortably and get a better connection to the audience (camera).


michelew
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Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:11 pm

Hi Chris!

I posted two threads at the same time which appears to be confusing. Your post wasn't lost, it's simply in the 2017 goals thread, here:

http://www.totallyguitars.com/forum/4-g ... -2017.html

But you included more detail in this thread which was fun to read. Thanks.

So what we're your highlights, triaumps and key learnings for 2016?

M


dottmcse85630
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Tue Jan 17, 2017 6:12 pm

Wow what a big year for me 2016 was.

Highlight Definitely camp. But also what I brought from camp that has helped me accelerate learning.

Triumph Playing while singing at camp, never done either or them, for an audience. Sure I really sucked but I had lots of fun and would do it again.

Key Learnings Wooo lots here, many things from camp, listening, observing and setting goals. Trying to keenly keep in mind the lessons from camp from Neil and Ness. Relax, keep focused, posture, etc.

I still have bad days that may turn into a week. Seems like I just picked up a guitar for the first time! Cuss at myself and wonder what the H is wrong?
These moments are not as often as they used to be but are still very frustrating.
So I'll leave it alone for a few days and start again.

Some days are just the reverse and I can play some of those songs with the tricky bits no problem, these moments are bliss but fleeting.

But looking back at 2016 I have come a long way with my playing but know I still have a journey ahead. Loving every minute of it!

Dennis


michelew
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Thu Jan 19, 2017 6:01 pm

That sounds like a great year indeed Dennis. And I really enjoyed your playing and singing at camp; it was very entertaining and didn't suck. You looked like you were enjoying yourself. And I loved the way you started giggling at one point when your fingers started to stumble a little. Laughing in the face of adversity. Great attitude!


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