Good night Rockstar..tc

Now the title may not make any sense to you… But reading the blog will surely make sense out of the title. But don’t take it as incentive from my side to make you read the whole blog. Hahaha. Coz ofcourse the title “Goodnight Rockstar” will generate all kinds of fantasies, queries and expectations from this blog. And so as not to disappoint you (if at all the blog doesn’t stand up to your expectations and fantasies) I will give a brief of what is to come.

This blog is a piece of impulsive writing which was inspired by just one SMS by someone very close. It’s about my journey or rather beginning of my journey of inclination towards MUSIC. All the people not interested in music… This would be the perfect time to stop reading this blog and continue with your not so important work. “Not so important” coz if it would have been important then you would not have been reading this blog in the first place. This blog is about how I ended up buying a Guitar on impulse. Hmmm… It may not sound a big deal. But believe me… there is huge difference between buying a Rs 650 /- Tee Shirt on impulse and buying a Rs 7000 /- Guitar on impulse.

So here it goes… One fine Sunday morning I got up without the slightest hint that I would be joining a guitar class. Now that Sunday was also like any other Sundays… which simply means that it started at 11 am. Now after getting up I am always glued to the idiot box (television) for almost 2 hours (even I don’t know why… jut that old habit die hard). But not this time… Coz I saw Saif on television playing like a rockstar on television. Now that’s when I jump… freshened up… dressed up and grabbed my bike keys to head towards the nearest music classes for admission enquiry.

Now don’t start thinking that I am the most proactive stupid jerk to act so passively. Actually I have always had an inclination towards learning an instrument. Many of us do have. And if not to learn an instrument, then at least to learn something else. But we don’t do it. Coz we love to postpone our desires. Remember that trip which you are planning from months. It won’t happen. Coz you will postpone it. Remember that course you wanted to do, that exam you wanted to prepare for, that restaurant you wanted to eat out at, that routine you wanted to follow, that classes you wanted to join. All that just won’t happen. Coz as I said… YOU WILL POSTPONE IT. That’s YOU. That’s US. So on that Sunday, I jumped out my chair, and drove on my bike towards the nearest music classes known to me (and of course which I wanted to join from ages) because I did not wanted to postpone it any longer. Once I was on my way… all other things were easy. I got enrolled for guitar classes that moment itself. And also decided to attend the class that day itself.

My first class was pretty interesting and easy. It’s like you love the swimming pool as a beginner till the time you are playing in the shallow waters. But once you enter the deep waters and gulp down some water… you feel screwed. Learning Guitar is same. But then you start enjoying once the rhythm starts touching your heart and soul. The sound of music has its own ecstasy. Our body has been functioning according to our mind from too long. We do every thing told by our brain. But that’s just being like a computerized mechanical robot. We need to put our SOUL in the driving seat. Our every movement should be handed over to our soul. Then life seems to be so beautiful. And that’s when great music is created. With the soul in it. One’s soul needs to play the guitar and not just the fingers. I learned all this from my sir in guitar classes. He also say’s that musician needs to be shameless. And that’s what I am best at. He he he. So it would be quite easy. And for the first time I actually realize that the guitar is not just a thing to show off but a fine instrument to create awesome music. WOW.

The day I joined my guitar classes, I was glad as I was on my way to pursue one of my passions. MUSIC. But then it also turned out to be a bad day as I had a final showdown with one of my very close friend. Beginning and end of two things on the same day. That’s Life. So… moving on ahead in life, my next step was to buy a guitar. A good acoustic one. If that sounds too simple, kindly change your perception. With a mere budget of Rs 3,500 /- I went to buy a guitar with all the beginners info in the memory cells of my brain (gathered after days of research on Google). But as a beginner one is sure to be bogged down by the sheer number of guitars displayed and also the almost negligible sound difference that all the guitars make to a learner ears. The sales person attending me had a hell of a time because I made him play almost 10 different guitars and kept on asking the same info almost n number of times. I took one and a half hour to choose a guitar of best brand and quality. I had over shot my budget by 100 % which means double (for you weak in mathematics). But then I am crazy about quality. I am a crazy perfection finicky freak. But the real height of freakishness happened when the salesman has packed the guitar I chose with such detailing and was half way through with the billing formalities. I saw this guitar of YAMAHA brand hanging in one corner. It was actually love at first sight. I asked the salesman to stop whatever activity he was doing and simply told him to change the guitar. Now his somewhat angry + puzzled expression was so damn justified because he had spend his one hour explaining me why I should buy the guitar which was being packed. And he was successful too… until I laid my eyes on my sweetheart (YAMAHA Guitar). Now this new guitar which I chose was also sure too burn a hole in my pocket which it did fantastically coz it was worth Rs 7000 /-. Exactly double the price of what I had thought to spend initially. But as I told earlier, it’s really worth acting listening to you heart rather than the usual practical bullshit thinking we do in our daily life.

Practical thinking. Practical decisions. That’s the trend these days. Why we don’t see beyond what is more economically for us. We choose a job which would make us capable of buying a sea facing flat rather than a job which may make every working day of ours to be fun. Practical thought. Very right. We go for a partner who is capable of giving us the luxuries of life rather than the one whom we loved. Practical decision. Even parents are happy. Great. (Though not all couples do that… coz some lucky ones spend lifetime together) And slowly but steadily we start this practical decision process in every aspect of our life. But we would never know the worth of living life on impulse. From our heart. That’s why really admire artists, singers, journalists, writers, photographers etc. These people had no motive to take up these professions other than their interest. I occasionally come across people who listen to their heart and really do admire them for that. Coz I want to be like that. Just imagine that if you die and still are given a second chance in life, would you be doing the same things that you have done? Would you take the same decisions which you have taken? However minor they are.

Coming back to my musical adventure, my daily routine has a spice of music in it now. Learning music can we as enchanting as that rush of first love. Playing music can be as soothing as romance. But still I was missing something in this musical journey. I didn’t know what it was. I am fast learner. I was doing great. But still some emptiness. But then of fine day I played a melody for a very close friend of mine. I played it with a shyness of a beginner. But still played it pretty well. It was not up to the perfection. But my friend liked it. And that night before going to bed, I received a SMS form her which read, “Good night rockstar..tc”. Somehow this SMS really made sense about one thing to me. That music should be not just for our own selfish pleasure. A true musician is one who can actually create a difference in other people’s life. Even a smile is worth the learning.

I am a guy who sometimes watches a movie in theater all alone. I need my space and many a times am locked up in my own self. But this learning that music should be played for others is great. After that I even played a Happy Birthday melody for one of my nieces and she was all so happy because she found it very special. It was not much about the appreciation that I got but the smile which I found on the lips of my niece. It clearly told me one thing that “Dude, you are learning music with the right attitude”. And I guess that’s how a great musician is made.