Mandolin

I first started playing an instrument in 10th grade. My friend Kevin wanted to start a band. He was learning the guitar so he told me I had to learn to play the bass and told his friend Shane he had to learn to play the drums. So we did. It was a blast and I enjoyed playing, but I never really fell in love with it. I honestly didn't even know the names of the notes I was playing for the longest time. I probably most enjoyed playing when I was playing worship music because my worship felt more active. In college I played the bass a little and picked up the cahone while doing percussion for our church's band. That was a lot fun (percussion is a blast), and it gave another way to being active in musical worship, but it never grabbed me so that I wanted to play when I was alone. I only played when with other people.

Over the last 4 or 5 years my little brother (who is a musical genius) has been playing the mandolin. I love the sound and would always ask him to teach me some when I visited. This May I finally bought a mandolin. I honestly only got to play it once between May and arriving here in Florida on July 18. While waiting to be picked up at the airport I started learning two Avett Brothers songs and it was like the gates opened. Everything started to click. Chords became easier to play, my fingers stretching farther and more accurately, my ear even seemed more adept at picking out melodies. Being able to play songs that I cared so much about changed everything. I have been playing a lot over the last week and a half. I have been learning so many new chords and songs. I am loving it.

Some of my favorite songs I have learned so far:
Joanna Newsom - Only Skin
Joanna Newsom - This side of the blue
Avett Brothers - Murder in the City
Avett Brothers - Head full of doubt