Elliott 1

Evan Elliott
Mr. Munoz
English DC, Per. 5
19 October 2014
Thank you, Jimi Hendrix
Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel. I never knew what that saying meant; then
again I was only five years old when I heard that saying. Growing up, I was somewhat
disconnected from music, even though I would listen to it every day with my mother. I would
always listen to the band Boston, jamming to their hard rock influenced blues music in the car
while driving with my mom to school, back home, or around town. During this time, I felt at one
with music. I always listened to the lyrics intently and the tone of the guitar, which subjected me
to lose myself in the music. However, this only affected my up to a certain degree. I still looked
at music as a form of entertainment as a child, rather than a way of life or as something with
more meaning. I never truly felt or listened to the music itself. As time went on however, my
music tastes evolved into more gruesome and fast paced music, such as punk and metal. At that
time, I picked up guitar, trying to throw out thrash metal riffs and terrifying solos, feeling only
anger.
At that point, I abandoned the emotional sound of music, making my emotions became
completely unstable. Even though I though listening to metal of punk would help, instead they
both just fed more fuel to my enraged flame. I felt drained of every other emotion, all except for
anger and sadness. Everything that I would play on my guitar was anger and hatred. All I thought
that mattered in music was anger and technical ability. I felt that anybody who would talk bad
about the music I listened to was inferior, and that my taste was superior. From then on I

Elliott 2
defended metal and punk, feeding my ego and letting it bloat up day after day. That was, until I
met my father. I only have certain memories of my father when I was young, but besides those
memories I never really knew him. When I met him, he was exactly as I imagined. He was a big
fellow, blonde hair, blue eyes, and heavily into music. I hated him because of how he never
talked or called me when I was young, but that anger soon left me after we started talking about
music. I went on and on about how metal and punk are the most supreme forms of music,
expressing anger and brutality, unleashing a raw and devastating emotional force. My dad
witnessed my emotional instability, and told me something, which forever changed me. He
looked at me and uttered these words: Son, metal and punk is nothing but anger and hatred, and
every time you listen to it, you think it helps you cope with your emotions. But instead, it only
adds fuel to your burning fire. I was silent, analyzing what he said. He was completely right. All
this time, even with music, I was never able to cope with my emotions because I kept focusing
on anger and hatred.
He smiled, went on his computer and said, This is the music I used to cope with
my own emotions when I was young. Maybe it will help you too. He played Voodoo Child,
by Jimi Hendrix. I sat there quietly, absorbed in the harmonious tone of his guitar, the rough
passion of his heart and soul. I perceived that someone finally understood me. I listened to those
carefree, yet tearful lyrics. I sensed as though Jimi Hendrix himself knew every thought in my
head. Soon after I had that experience, I downloaded a collection of songs by Jimi Hendrix.
Every time I would go through a song, I would cry. I witnessed a balance of happiness, anger
and sadness in his music, not just with my ears, but with my soul. From this experience, I
transformed into an emotionally stable human being. I witnessed a complete change in me,
turning from anger and hate, to happiness and balance because of stability. Not only did I grow

Elliott 3
emotionally balanced as a human, but also on guitar. After learning about Hendrix, I became
a better guitar player, feeding all of my emotions, passion, and soul into my guitar. From this, I
came to the conclusion that there is something more to guitar and music, something spiritual. I
realized that music, to me, was a spiritual beacon, to help me express my own soul when I play,
as well as others souls when they are playing. I thank you, Jimi Hendrix, for giving me a new life
as a guitar player, and as a human being.

Okay, better! 88