LIFE LESSON #2 IF YOU WANT TO BE HEARD – SPEAK UP!

It was something out of everyone’s worst nightmare.

Okay maybe not your WORST. Maybe not as bad as that nightmare you have about being in mortal danger and not being able to move or speak – or that dream you have about someone of the opposite sex you’ve known for years and never thought of “that way” and suddenly you’ve done it with them and you’re really confused.

No sir, I’m talking about this nightmare: You’ve only played an instrument for two years and it’s your first gig. You’re middle aged and you’re suddenly in front of your friends, family, co-workers and the like. You have no idea if you’re going to blank out, get stage fright, not remember how to play or what.

Suddenly the band starts into the first song – a tune you not only have to play but SING. Your heart is already in your mouth. You hit the strings to the first chord – NOTHING. NO SOUND. You can hear everyone else except yourself. They play the first few bars of the intro as you feel hundreds of eyes on you. What do you do?

You take a quick glance to look at all the links in the chain that can go wrong:
Amplifier on? – check!
Pedal board on?– check!
Tuner mute off? – check!

Why is this happening? You look to your band mates in the hope they’ll realize something is wrong. They don’t stop. What do you do?

Then you realize the volume pot on your guitar is turned down to zero. You slide it up to ten and begin. Miraculously – you finish the song. You even enjoyed it. What a great rush. People clap and cheer. Damn it, you’re suddenly a rock star.

The moral of this story as it relates to life?

If you want to be heard, you have to speak up, or at least turn your guitar on. I know it's cliche, but if you want something bad enough you often have to stick your neck out for it. I put myself on the line that night just being out there and playing in front of people for the first time, but it paid of for me - I had a great time. And I'll never forget that first song - ever,