My first guitar performance is in one week

December 29, 1996

Dear Daniel,

Since my last letter to you about my dad complimenting me, I’ve been practicing the guitar even more. Before Christmas break, basically I’d come home from school, then I’d have a piece of toast with butter, jelly, and cheese. It’s my mom’s favorite, and I love it, too. It sounds gross to people I’ve told before, but you should try it if you haven’t. We use American cheese that comes in those pre-sliced packages for sandwiches. My favorite is grape jelly.

Anyway, after I eat that, I head down into the basement. What’s funny is how quickly time goes by. It feels like only a few minutes before my mom tells me that supper is ready.

Guess what? I have my first guitar performance in one week! I am so nervous. My sisters were asked to sing Special Music at church. The song they picked out is “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High,” and it’s only three chords, even less than the John Denver song. They asked me if I would accompany them, and I instantly got butterflies and started sweating. I was going to say no because it felt like when I was a kid and my parents made me sing with them in church. Like I told you before, I didn’t like people looking at me. My face would get so red, and I didn’t know how to make it stop. But I’ve been practicing guitar so much and getting more confident, especially after my dad’s visit.

This is a little embarrassing, but sometimes when I’m practicing, I picture myself playing in front of people. It could be people at church or it could be like a concert hall, with just a spotlight on me on stage. In a way, it’s like when I would go golfing and pretend there were announcers whispering over my every move before I made a shot. I always made them have a British accent. Kind of stupid, I know, but it also just made being out there feel special, like that must be what the pros feel like.

And so I’ve been imagining myself as a professional on stage, especially when I’m playing and singing through a song. But my point is that it feels good to imagine people liking what I’m doing. Like what I’m doing is special and worth watching and listening to. I wonder if you ever did this. The thing is, I have no idea how it would actually feel. You do! So maybe performing for Special Music would give me a small taste of that.

Also, I’ve been practicing a new technique where instead of strumming, you hold the guitar pick and pick one note at a time. I know that you know this since I can hear you do it on a few songs on your CD, but it’s so cool. It sounds way better than just strumming. So, I was practicing “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” like that, and then I was imagining what it would be like to do that in church, accompanying my sisters. And I got pretty excited. So I told them yes.

We’re going to practice it at the church the Saturday night before with microphones and everything. My parents have the keys to the church, and my dad knows how to work the soundboard. That should help make me feel more comfortable.

I gotta go because I want to keep practicing before I go to bed, but I just wanted to write you to tell you this huge update.

Love,
Aaron

Memoir in Progress

Earlier chapters:
Chapter 1: Quitting Hockey →
Chapter 2: Quitting Hockey (for Real) →
Chapter 3: The Guitar Lesson →
Chapter 4: I hated singing in church →
Chapter 5: We didn’t have a TV →
Chapter 6: You have a nice voice, Aaron →