Day +1925 ：What grade are you in?

I am fine today.

I was invited to play guitar solo - How Great Thou Art - during the morning service. It served as a background music while the congregation meditated and prayed about the greatness of God. Many commented later that the music was played very well and it really helped them to meditate :-)

"What grade are you in?" a student asked.

"Grade zero," is my answer.

I didn't have a chance to learn classical guitar formally. The reason is very simple - I couldn't afford the fee. Therefore, I remain grade zero until now :-) But I was crazy about the instrument, and managed to pick up quite a lot of skill from books. I have a very big collection of classical guitar books, scores, and musics; I believe more than most of the classical teachers :-)

My eldest sister purchased a RM50 guitar for me when I was studying primary four, and since then I played guitar every day until I went to university. I picked up the instrument again when I was diagnosed with Leukaemia, and in fact, I played it every night in the ward during the bone marrow transplant :-) After that, I stopped playing it for a few years until a few months I picked it up again in the seminary.

Though I didn't go for formal lesson, I have one great music teacher living with me. She is my wife:-) She taught me music - how to interpret and express a piece well. She gave me some clue on how to express the piece that I played today, and that is why the way I played today managed to create an atmosphere suitable for meditation and prayer.

See you next post :-)