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Learning The Guitar | ‘Cause I’m The Ax Man
By Jake | September 20, 2011
Tucked away in a dusty back room, R. Wesley Carr pulls out hisscuffed-up 1959 classical guitar.
The walls are lined with old guitar cases and a tatteredGrateful Dead poster and the floor is cluttered with stools andamplifiers, but he appears completely at home. Carr beginsdelicately picking at the strings, creating a melodic riff thatseems to sweep and bend back and forth before floating to end on aquiet E chord. Finishing the 17th century composer John Dowland’s”Frog Galliard,” he takes a moment to admire his instrument beforegently putting his guitar back in its case.
Carr, 21, of Rochelle, Ill., has been playing guitar for almosta decade, and now serves as one of two guitar instructors at Ax inHand Guitars, 817 W. LincolnHighway, Suite B.
The instructor said his family did not have much money, soplaying guitar became more than just a hobby.
“We couldn’t afford things like video games and most of the timewe couldn’t afford cable to distract me, so I’d go to school, comehome, and the rest of the night was guitar,” Carr said. “Ipracticed for six or eight hours [a night]. I had nothing else todo and it was a way to escape.”
What drew Carr to the instrument was his involvement withchurch, he said.
“Most of how I learned was learning from a local pastor andhelping out with worship at churches, which has stuck with me,” hesaid.
Now Carr is making money giving guitar (and mandolin, bass, andperhaps soon banjo) lessons at Ax In Hand. The shop has been a partof DeKalb since 1964 when Larry Henrikson, who passed away in 2000,founded the store. His sons now run the business.Co-owner ErinHenrikson, 32, said timing played a serious role in the success ofthe store.
“[My dad] was really lucky because The Beatles hit, andeverybody wanted to learn guitar,” he said.
Carr sees Ax In Hand as a friendly place to practice music in alow-pressure environment.
“I consider all of my lessons my friends,” Carr said. “In a lotof ways this is a safe place where people know that they can comeand not be judged, and we’ll sit down and talk to them more likefriends than customers.” No matter what new guitar players want tolearn, Carr encourages them to set realistic goals for theirplaying progress.
“Mostly what it comes down to is having patience,” he said. “Youcan never expect to pick up the guitar one week and play it thenext week. What we always try to influence here is to make surethat they know that it’s a time-consuming process.”
Even though learning the guitar takes commitment, Carrencourages new players to focus on what is really important. “Ittakes dedication,” Carr said. “At the same time, you can’t let thetime and effort you put into it take away from the musicitself.”
To Carr, music takes shape as a way to link people together andto explore.
“I think music, in so many ways, is a way to connect with otherpeople,” Carr said. “It supports community. It supportsself-expression and being able to get away from what you’resurrounded byevery day.”
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