Lind 1
Rick Lind
12/08/14
Person/Place Final
Title: Guitar Land.
Purpose: Describe a world of creativity.
Audience: Individuals who have a passion for music.

Lind 2
This world of my guitar has no limitations. It involves the use of sound and thought simultaneously in a place where creativity and intelligence thrive and anything can happen. I get to pick and choose what happens. I have complete control over the mood, the setting, and for the most part the results. It influences the attitude of the atmosphere. It can send out mixed and matched messages to the listener. The place I am describing isn’t actually a place. My instrument and I rule this zone of focus. I call this metal state guitar land.
This place is more of an imaginary fairy tale dream, reminding me of times when I used to watch Disney movies as a kid. I feel nothing is wrong here and I’m doing everything right. I know I have entered guitar land when I’m so distracted that time goes out the window. Now my plucking fingers are fired up. They have rested and are eager to shoot off another set of arpeggios and chords, anxiously waiting to perform complicated rhythms and collaborations. I get the craziest and brightest thoughts here. It’s as if I’m in a land of ecstasy. The feeling’s so good I swear I feel like I’ve been drugged. Nothing can stop me from unleashing my inner creator here.
Writing requires a lot of these same skills where creativity, intelligence, and determination are used. Because the same sense of total control happens, I can choose any topic to write about. Allowing me to branch off into other ideas. Where upon revising what is written leads ultimately to a mood. A guitar requires being creative and having a level of familiarity. Allowing me the option to choose a mode or scale. Then I can decide on a structure and pattern to make ideas that follow a particular progression. The ideas send out a theme that set the foundation for the music.

Lind 3
Upon rereading or rehearing what has been recorded I can make corrections. I’m convinced that certain writing and guitar styles are similar because they both use improvisation. I’ve always liked walking to the park, but in guitar land the park is magical. The fresh warm air of a summer afternoon is the perfect atmosphere for sparking new cleaver ideas. The smell of the nearby trees and flowers can fill the air and become engulfing. It’s as if I become one with nature and complement its surroundings. The quietness of everything leaves me with little distraction. Making practice easier than if someone was talking behind me. This adds room for me to think about what is being played. Which allows me to elaborate and expand or even create new ideas. It feels like I’ve traveled off the entire planet although I’ve only traveled somewhere in my head. I usually think I go mars or even further, but I don’t know. What I do know is it doesn’t take long for my mind to be ready for lift off. My brain sits on the launch pad waiting to shoot off faster than the speed of light. It feels like I get there in less than a millisecond when I’m on the main voyage. One day I’ll set my feet on this open plane. All it may require is that we look into the human mind itself. I know I want to be there because I feel I rule this undiscovered utopia. I am here alone, comfortable, peaceful, and most important calm. Yet, many colorful ideas and varieties of exotic languages and rhythms appear everywhere. It’s as if they all carry their own identity. I can hear them calling for my attention. “Why do these identities talk to me” I ask myself. It can be very overwhelming when they all scream. I can’t hear their cries because all the sounds are in a ruckus. The bangs are loud enough that they pierce your soul.
Lind 4 It isn’t always like this though. The melodies occasionally perform harmonies making more beautiful sounds than anything I’ve ever heard. I try to decipher which sounds are best while attempting to mimic their characteristics.
If I don’t want to go alone I simply invite someone to join me. I don’t have the insights and experiences they bring along. The added company provokes personalities that I cannot contribute on my own. The enjoyment from having company in guitar land is priceless. I always learn something from these encounters. I pick up techniques from the never ending dictionary of scales and chords. I also learn new rhythms faster than I would alone. Writing new songs can be easier when playing with two or three people. Striking the wrong note can be good too because I feel emotion toward my mistakes. Whatever emotion I feel it causes my music to evolve into the next generation of creativity. Crafting funky rifts all the way to beautiful melodies. Although the exact opposite can and does happen. When I make a mistake I try to correct it. Just so that I can improve on my past difficulties. I stick to the saying practice makes perfect. It forces me to practice aggressively in order to get my desired results. In hindsight I gain extraordinary experience from hitting the wrong note. Although most of the time my mistakes don’t make sense. I’ll practice and modify them. Doing this is another way of generating ideas when coming up with a new song. Sadly the music has to stop. When it does everything goes back to neutral. Reminding me of the moment before my fingers glided across the fret board. Comparable to the minute before any of the sounds starting screaming as loud as they could. Absolute silence, no opinions, no judgment, just pure emptiness. This is when the clock starts ticking.
Lind 5
It lets me know that I have officially left my peaceful land. Both my guitar and I begin to feel alone. When separated we’re just waiting for one another. Anticipating our next adventure together. I see her shouting out all the possibilities that could happen if only the tunes were played a little longer. Telling me what we learned and what improvements there are to be made. Sometimes I may have to go days without playing due to a busy schedule. Alas I can only resister her temptation for so long. When our paths meet for another time, the next grand journey will begin. Guitar land brings peace to my soul. It makes me feel like I’m capable of achieving everything. Anyone who has seriously enjoyed playing guitar has experienced this place. However as long as there is love for what is made it can involve any instrument. I always find myself getting into the grove of my local surrounding when playing. Making sure there is enjoyment for what is being played has to be the key. Otherwise getting stuck can be easy. When this happens the sound created can be dull and unsatisfying.
I know enjoying the guitar is the key to my success as a guitar player. I also believe it’s the key to success for any guitar player. I have the opportunity to visit guitar land and it makes playing a much fuller experience. As a player I see it as a form of engagement. It elevates my mood when I’m down and promotes motivation for the day. Every so often I notice myself counting down the seconds. Waiting to disappear in the excitement of my next trip to Guitar Land.