protectionist
Governor
There's a very wide choice of items that people with money to spend, can choose for Christmas presents.
Probably most people will gravitate toward electronics. Computers, video games, cell phones, etc.
Here's another idea. Instead of that gadget that will be obsolete within a year, how about something really worthwhile, that will never be outdated, and will last a lifetime ?
I'm talking about musical instruments, plus lessons to learn to play them. One of the best things that ever happened to me many years ago, was getting a guitar and learning to play it.
Just learning each new song from a book with lyrics & chord charts, was a thrill. After mastering rythym and melody on my guitar, I branched out and bought a cousin of the guitar, a mandolin.
With my guitar experience, and just a few quick lessons, I got competent enough to play both instruments onstage for money. While this was rewarding, the really special reward was (and is) just being able to play these instruments, which only musicians really understand.
Within few years after learning the mandolin, I thought as long as I now know a dozen tunes on the mandolin, I ought to transfer them over to the mandolin's other cousin, the violin.
So from just a couple of lessons on the violin, together with my mandolin ability, I was soon fiddling and playing onstage for that too.
Few things in my life have been more special to me than this music, and it's something I've had now for decades. I continue to learn new songs & tunes and enjoy it immensly.
I also now teach these instruments privately, and in connection with 3 music schools, thereby supplementing my retirement income. Be wise in how you choose an instrument. If you have very fat fingers, you may not be well suited for a stringed instrument, and perhaps one of the wind instruments would be better.
Whatever you choose, start slow with at least about 5 lessons, and keep your instrument HANDY, where you can pick it up OFTEN, and play it. :biggrin:
Probably most people will gravitate toward electronics. Computers, video games, cell phones, etc.
Here's another idea. Instead of that gadget that will be obsolete within a year, how about something really worthwhile, that will never be outdated, and will last a lifetime ?
I'm talking about musical instruments, plus lessons to learn to play them. One of the best things that ever happened to me many years ago, was getting a guitar and learning to play it.
Just learning each new song from a book with lyrics & chord charts, was a thrill. After mastering rythym and melody on my guitar, I branched out and bought a cousin of the guitar, a mandolin.
With my guitar experience, and just a few quick lessons, I got competent enough to play both instruments onstage for money. While this was rewarding, the really special reward was (and is) just being able to play these instruments, which only musicians really understand.
Within few years after learning the mandolin, I thought as long as I now know a dozen tunes on the mandolin, I ought to transfer them over to the mandolin's other cousin, the violin.
So from just a couple of lessons on the violin, together with my mandolin ability, I was soon fiddling and playing onstage for that too.
Few things in my life have been more special to me than this music, and it's something I've had now for decades. I continue to learn new songs & tunes and enjoy it immensly.
I also now teach these instruments privately, and in connection with 3 music schools, thereby supplementing my retirement income. Be wise in how you choose an instrument. If you have very fat fingers, you may not be well suited for a stringed instrument, and perhaps one of the wind instruments would be better.
Whatever you choose, start slow with at least about 5 lessons, and keep your instrument HANDY, where you can pick it up OFTEN, and play it. :biggrin:
