Twice a week I have the honor of teaching a private lesson to my guitar student Ira Faden at the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids. Ira is always curious about the guitar and never intimidated. When I arrive at our lesson Ira grabs his guitar and usually starts playing something right away – whether it’s a chord or just one string, he gives it all he has and I find that to be admirable. Many people feel intimidated when they are playing an instrument they don’t know a ton about and that intimidation can stifle the learning. Folks often surprise themselves with what they are capable of when they simply try. At Riverside we often say: “Everyone has to make mistakes.” I appreciate that Ira doesn’t shy away from making those mistakes! It allows for growth.
One of my favorite things about my time with Ira is that we don’t spend the majority of our time discussing theory or technique – we get right into the creation of music. Ira seems to write a new song or poem every night and they always have a way of surprising me with how detailed they are with his use of literary devices. You can listen to Ira’s song “Rita” here. Ira is often kicking something around in his mind that is deep and complex. He and I are similar in that we enjoy thinking about things that go beyond the day-to-day small talk that we are all a little bit too accustomed to. It can also be understandably challenging for people like Ira and me – whose minds tend to race – to finish a poem, song, film, class project, or even a simple chore.
Ira brings a lot to the table, but struggles to slow down and work on one thing at a time. The concept of finishing a song plagues many guitar-learners and aspiring songwriters. I give Ira suggestions on how to make the song or poem he’s working on palatable, but more importantly, “finishable”. I usually help him find a two or three chord progression in whatever key we are discussing for him to sing his lyrics with. Ira takes these suggestions really well and has an open mind about this every time, although he doesn’t shy away from declaring creative autonomy (and I like that!).
It’s been a great joy of mine guiding Ira and giving him the tools to get the most out of his musical journey. Ira’s childhood friend, Joe, has contacted Riverside Guitar School’s owner Dean and me a couple of times telling us how much of a difference he has seen in Ira since I began giving him guitar lessons. He says things like:
“He’s like a completely different person,” and
“I am starting to see the Ira I knew before the war.”
Joe also had mentioned how war had taken a toll on Ira, as I imagine it does on many people who serve. I can’t speak to how Ira was before I met him, but since I’ve known him he has been a fun and thoughtful person to be around. Sometimes all a person needs is a friend who is willing to listen and hang out. I’m happy to be that friend of Ira’s, and music acts as a great vehicle for conversation and friendship.