Another Busy Day

One question I get at my shows frequently is, "How long have you been playing guitar?"  More than any other question it seems like this is what I get asked.  The answer?  I started when I was 11 or 12 I remember, but it was only because I could get out of being in chorus twice a week if I took lessons on an instrument.  Pre-teen boy's favorite choice?  Survey says?  Guitar. 

The reason I bring this up is that I had a guitar lesson this morning and have a gig tonight, so it made me think of it.  I'm playing my regular "first Saturday" gig at Xtreme Bean Coffee Shop in Tempe, AZ.  Whoohooo!  Right now I have to get ready for tonight, so what do I do besides write a blog to get ready?  Well tonight I have to change some batteries on my tuner and "compression sustainer," the two pedals I rely on at any show.   Next I'm going to pack up my PA system, play a little guitar, load the car and get to the gig.  I like to sing a little too before a gig, which I can do all the while.  I don't like to swim or take a shower because it makes my fingers prune up and I need them to be firm and callused.  Finger care is a must if you're a guitar player.  

Other than the few things I have to do to make sure everything goes right I also try to relax as much as possible.  That used to mean smoking, but now it means trying to get there a little early and meet coffee drinkers and tea drinkers and students doing their homework on a Saturday night.  Hopefully they will stay around to watch me play, and after the show one might ask me, "How long have you been playing guitar?"  If I get that question from someone tonight I'll be really excited, as I always am, because it means I'm doing something special still.