It’s April. Every
year, after I celebrate the solemn April Fool’s Day, I then turn my attention to the most sacred of event’s (second
only to Easter) for the month: The Dallas International Guitar Festival.
As I’ve written before here, here, a-a-a-a-nd here, I live for the guitar show every year. There’s just something about the rows upon
rows of guitars, guitar parts, memorabilia and . . . did I say guitars? Guitars. There’s
also something about the heart and soul that people pour into their instrument of choice as they place them up for sale or
as they look for their personal holy grail of guitars.
You see, to the casual observer, a guitar is a bunch of wood with some
strings slapped on it that happens to make some pretty cool sounds. But to the trained observer or serious
musician, these curved, wooden beauties have personalities and feelings as unique as human beings. They
relate to – even commune with - their player.
I love roaming the aisles of Dallas Market Hall and look at the used guitars.
To the untrained eye, some of the guitars look like they’ve been abused from careless use. I
happen to know that the scratches, stains and cigarette burns represent the intimate relationship, even pain and suffering,
mutually experienced during gigs, rehearsals and songwriting in years gone by.
Sounds
crazy, you say? It may be but musicians place a high value on a quality guitar with those war wounds. They
intend to go through more battles with an instrument that is tried and true with plans to endure even more. That’s
just the life of a serious musician and their guitar.
So, this year, as it was last year, I’ll wonder the aisles, study
the beautiful and scarred guitars and wonder what stories they would tell if they could talk. I’ll
speculate as to what new stories they will tell and what comfort they will bring to their new owners and the audiences they
play for. I will wonder about the music that “takes people home, the music that sets people free,
the music of angels singing in the dark and the music of you and me.”
Note:
If you’re going to be in the Dallas area the weekend of April 15th through the 17th, why
not check out the Dallas International Guitar Festival. There will be performances galore by some amazing
talent like Boomerocity friends Rick Derringer, Andy Timmons and Quinten Hope as well as many others. Click here to get the schedule, location and to order your tickets online.
