One Man's Treasure...

One month of learning and a year of fairly regular practice, all for this moment. I began playing Paganini's Sonata Concertante at a brisk pace. The guitar amplification is good, and the new strings ring with multi-layered tones, and I'm playing well. The intro goes by quickly with the bass and treble lines in perfect synchronization.

I move to the first solo and my fingers are flying all over the fretboard. I can hear every note ring in time, and the change to the second verse was flawless. A slightly slow passage before the cadenza and I believe that I will nail it this time. In spite of the difficulty, and I do. I hit the last chord with two bass notes to finish. I smile to myself, finally.

I look up, and hear one enthusiastic clap from another player in the audience. The rest didn't give a damn. One year of tired forearms, sore fingers, and frustration. And for all they cared, I just played Mary Had A Little Lamb.