I loved my first guitar teacher Joe Breeze. Joe played guitar in the Ed Sullivan orchestra and also played upright bass. I wanted to be just like him and so I also played both ( and still do) By the time I was 11 years old I had already been gigging for money and working every weekend and I was pretty cocky. My father would drive me the 20 minutes or so on Long Island to Joe's house in Plainvew New York every Saturday morning and as my dad sat on the couch watching, Joe would give me an hour and more lesson each week. He was all about me always making a living and stressed the importance of knowing how to read music well. Joe had a beautiful 25,000 dollar D'Angelico guitar, and I remember thinking I was way cooler than him because I was going to get a Les Paul guitar when I turned 13 years old.His guitar was a fat hollow body and was for farty music like show tunes "I thought". One day I walked in and he said hello and told me to wait a few minutes , he wanted to finish learning what he was working on. Joe took the needle of the record player and placed it down carefully and to my amazement it was Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix. He'd listen for a couple of bars, take the needle off and try it on his guitar. I thought this was the funniest thing I had ever seen. My 50 year old teacher with his fat jazz guitar trying to play Jimi Hendrix. I started to giggle, and and laugh out loud , and for the first time in all the years I had studied with Joe , he looked pissed off at me. "Jamie" he said. "Come over here and sit down!"

I looked at my father thinking maybe he would help me but he pointed me to the chair next to Joe. Joe asked "What do you find so funny?" I said Mr. Breeze you are playing Jimi Hendrix. You are using a jazz guitar. It's funny. Joe looked into my eyes in a way that I had never seen him do before. It was like his eyes were inside of my mind and my heart. Jamie I want to teach you the most important lesson I will ever give you. Listen Up!!

As you grow older you will see that music evolves, it changes, it always does. You will always have your music from your generation, your favorite songs and you might even HATE the new music you hear but mark my words............... "If you don't learn the new music and find ways to like it you will be DEAD in the music business" I am learning Purple Haze because that is what guitarists of today are playing. If I don't keep up only old people will hire me. I want to play music and make a living at it for as long as I want to do so. "Jamie", Promise me you will keep up with music as it changes" I promised Joe and I have never broken that promise.

Do you keep up with the latest trends or have you grown old musically? I'll look forward to your responses and thank you for being part of my life adventure

Jamie ( Glaser)