I'm gonna start blogging again - starting NOW!

December 21, 2011  Rota, Spain

OK, so it's be seven months since I've sent anything in.  I couldn't seem to find any way to blog without discussing things in my current life that my soon-to-be ex-wife didn't want to hear about.  Well, the divorce process is officially under way and more and more I'm going to be revealing what I am doing these days in Spain.

When I thought about writing this, my idea was to express my gratitude to the people of Andalucia and my friends here for the wonderful support I have felt while living here.  But when I read my last post, I realized that I had already covered that.  Well, it is still very present for me.  I can't believe the things that I am doing now in my life, and I have the confidence to do them because of the way I am seen by the people around me.  For some reason, my way of being works much better here than it did in America.  I am quite bold these days, both artistically and socially.  I've never felt like I had many social skills, but I am imitating the manners of those around me and find that I have become much more effusive and outgoing.

As an artist, I have been much more daring.  When I can find someone else to play the guitar, I actually get up on my feet and dance buleria while singing it.  No, I'm not any good and I have no idea what I am doing, but I just feel so turned-on that I risk it.  And the people love it!  My singing has become much more expressive.  I really tune into the meaning of the words to the song and express them in the way I sing.  When I sing, the spaniards stop talking.  That is a big deal because spaniards almost never stop talking!  So that is a huge compliment.

I have been the guitarist for the peña in Rota for some time now, but now they are starting to pay me when we have a show and I accompany the local singers.  I have also started going to the peña in Chipiona, a neighboring beach town.  This was initiated by our friends Manolo and Ana who are members of both Rota and Chipiona.  And in Chipiona, they are starting to use me more and more.  So with all that guitar playing, I decided that I would take guitar lessons - after 50 years of playing without lessons!!!  There is a guitarist in Chipiona named Juan Gomez who owns a music store and also teaches.  He's not a flashy guitarist, but plays very cleanly and tastefully.  I figured that he could help me clean up my technique and could give me some new ideas.  He doesn't play any jazz chords.  Just good old-fashioned flamenco.  Since I don't hang out with other guitarists, I needed some new input.  I take what he teaches me and use it to invent five times more music.  I am practicing 2-3 hours daily and the change is pretty obvious.  Since I know the music and rhythms so well, my playing is really getting powerful.  In a way, I'm playing like I always wanted.

All in all, I'm pretty darned happy.  And so, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish the happiest possible Christmas and New Years to whomever is still following this.  And thank you for that.  Don't hesitate to write - still have the same email.