Be sure to get a guitar for one of your birthdays, the earlier the better.  (Hopefully

it’s not too late for you already.)  Think it will make you cooler.  It will not.  Yet.

Practice.

Play along with your Pink Floyd albums.  Ask your mother to find a teacher for

you.  Go to your lessons.  Practice.

Survive in high school.  Take it somewhat seriously, that will be the brunt of your

education. Start a band with your friends.  Think that you guys don’t suck.  You do.

Practice.

Get a summer job.  Buy a nicer guitar.

Watch MTV.  Wonder what the hell is going on.  Feel resentment.

Listen to jazz.  Practice.

Really listen to Dylan and the Beatles.  Wonder if drugs really help you write

songs.  Find out that they do not.

Bomb your high school jazz band audition.  Shake it off.  Practice.

Start a band with friends again.  Write songs about girls in your class.  Know that

they are no good.  Love them anyway.  Practice.

Collect obscure Vonnegut novels.  Dabble in poetry.

Graduate from high school.  For God’s sake, stay away from college.  Float

around.  Don’t practice.

Play really crappy gigs.  Nothing will be more excruciating than those sound

checks.  Realize that’s not the way it should be.  Sound check should be the best part of

your day.  Don’t practice.

Grow a beard.  Shave.  Feel like an idiot.  Get back to practicing.

Question yourself.  Develop anxiety and depression.  Never let them show

outright.  Blur together weekends and weekdays.  Work in some bizarre sleeping habits.

Practice.

Most importantly never hide from the truth.  If anyone ever tries to talk to you

about music say you do it to get girls.  Practice.

 

Peter Maltzan is currently a Berklee student majoring in Professional Music.

 

Sarah Stinnett’s work has been featured many times in FUSION. Most recently her poetry appeared in FUSION’s second print edition. She is currently a Berklee student.