I know.... Some these Young (and I do mean "Young") kids these days are un-friggin-believable, doing 'Eruption' by EVH at their school end of year concert and the guitar is as big as them!
Last Summer when things had begun to relax around the Covid restrictions, there was a youngster busking in the City Centre; nothing unusual in that you 'd probably say and most times they're okay but in the category of "Not Gonna Make It".... I walked past this "kid" and he was just setting up his gear...half-hour later on my way back he's stood there playing his Acoustic (A Taylor 6 String) and he's playing percussion-style-guitar with hammer on's, tapping and all that stuff that those players from the Candy Rat Label do... He was like a one man band.... using FX and a Looper....So I stop to watch and listen, he is going literally from one song into another for about half an hour Including an acoustic (But Jimi Hendrix / Michael Hedges style) version of "All Along The Watchtower" and he totally
aced it...He then went into' his own rendition of 'Classical Gas' - A song I have long liked and half-attempted to play... and he just nailed it...
When he stopped I walked over and told him that I really enjoyed what he'd played ..and put a £5 in his Hat on the ground.
He Thanked me and we got talking "Guitars" ... It turns out he is only 15yrs of age! I mean FFS! And he was starting his A levels in September (prep for Uni in 2 years time) So I asked him if he wanted to study Music etc And he said "Naaa I'm going to study Accountancy - "I'm doing this for spare change and because I like it!"...
BUT it turns out his father has promised him if IF he gets a 1st at Uni - He was going to buy him a Lowden (6 string acoustic)....That's £3 - 4k's worth of guitar, even their basic models.
I haven't seen him since but something tells me he WILL become a musician proper in the future, he was just Too Good not too (at least I hope).
ps(Edit) Almost forgot - Totally Agree about "Just Enjoy Playing etc" - Get in from work or after a difficult day on the planet - Sit Down start strumming and picking and suddenly 2 hours have flown by my Supper's gone cold after being called to "come and eat!!!" 4 times... I just go into my own world and the best bit is "Experimenting" or what my daughter calls "Noodling"... and once I plug in my T-Rex Soulmate etc - That's it I'm done for the rest of the afternoon / Evening...
