Hi Maestro Tomo and fellow fearless guitar warrior-poets!
I just wanted to make a video to re-introduce myself to you all.
I’m Sunil Menon, I’m an engineer. I spent 14 years at sjsu and (last 4 at) ucsb studying computer science and another decade+ working in industry. And I am a beginner electric guitarist. So far, I’ve learned classical guitar and electric guitar are two completely different instruments…
(I want to ask maestro: I have so much classical sheet music still. So many beautiful ideas and phrases, how can I adapt them to blues/jazz modern electric guitar? I can start sight reading practice that is maybe where I should start)
Also I still have my finger nails(, even the pinky nail!) and I am trying to incorporate past technique with electric guitar technique. Pick and nails. I will focus on pick technique first.
The last decade I have been a stay-at -home dad to my two daughters while my wife Shilpa is working as a speech-language pathologist at their school.
She is our rock.
This fall, my youngest is in school full time aaaaaaahhhh, finally! So my days are now free to practice guitar (and computer science…I gotta go back to work…cashed out all savings over the last decade, and most recently used the last of it to buy all my guitar stuff. Totally worth it!! :))
Since childhood, music but especially strings and guitar, have been a deep interest. I took several years of lesson for classical guitar in my early twenties. My guitar teachers were Richard Kendrick (ohlone jr. college) and Bahram Behroozi (San Jose city college).
Like maestro, they have a deep passion for the instrument and teaching. And I felt that I could learn to play, with their guidance and encouragement. I think of them like older brothers, still. And indirectly, through guitar, they saved my life at that time.
Tomo made a video about feeling a lack of inspiration. It made me think about what I am doing as well, and the result is that I am going refocus and actually make videos so I can learn along with the community, better!
There is a book, “Old Path, White Clouds” by Thich Nhat Hanh
( https://www.parallax.org/product/old-path-white-clouds/ ) which is describes a method to meditate.
I think Tomo and GW present a similar structure. Like GW, I think, there is a pedagogy or method, a community of committed learners, and the practice of implementing the method which is practiced by each individual.
For me the take-away is how to learn something beyond the scope of the self.
I am learning something that will change me.
So in order to learn to actually be “playing out” I have to contribute to the method, the practice, and the community by making videos of what I have attempted to learn. As maestro mentioned, he makes tons of videos but doesn’t know what was learned.
Ok. So many words! Here my first video for GW. I learned I need to write an outline of what I want to say, because usually so many things are floating around in my mind.
Back to practice.
Thank you everyone.
Peace,
Sunil
I sent an email to my first guitar teacher, Richard Kendrick and his wife Monica contacted me to let me know he passed away last Nov 13, 2024. His friendship and instruction really did save my life.
Kind of in shock, in tears. He was like you Tomo just 4 or 5 years older.
Maestro, 60th birthday is big in my culture because we think of it as the halfway point. Please take care of your health Tomo, and everyone! I will do the same.
I wish you all a long life. Maybe we are all walking each other home.