SnowGhost Music

Ah, a much-needed return to the world of writing. The last song I wrote was a song called Peace and Harmony, to be sung by a chorus of 4th to 6th graders at a school function. The theme was harmony. We nailed it. The last story I wrote was a two-paragraph number about a famous hobo. It was followed by five questions asking about main ideas and details and sequence of events and what not. These are the things I find myself writing these days because I am an elementary school teacher.

I still look at my guitar. I play it too sometimes. I recently performed even, in front of actual people other than students and parents. But mostly I wait. Oh, over the next break I’ll have time to record that piano track I’ve been hearing in my head. Dude, this summer will be just me, my guitar, a keyboard, and the microphone. Or at least I’ll re-string my guitar as soon as I finish reading these fabulous fourth-grade essays.

Basically I am the fat person who has gotten fatter, floating helplessly atop a sea of unfulfilled promises and intentions. I have let myself go, and I can only blame myself. I am busy. Utterly busy. Only a teacher knows the feeling. But like the fat-ass I once was, I need to stop making excuses and make music and writing a priority just like I made time to start swimming and stop eating four sandwiches for lunch. It is, after all, brain exercise. Exercise that I actually like. No gym membership necessary. Just an instrument or two, a moment alone, a good idea to write about, and see or hear what happens.

This is not a new year’s resolution. This is simply a reclamation of my mind and the things I need to do with it. I need to write music. I need to write about music. I need to do it now. Sorry, 2nd quarter science fair grades. You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow to get inside my grade-book. Mr. McGrath has some rocking out to do…