"Pay it Forward"

The superpower of sharing, the bliss of giving back, and the happiness that comes from mentoring the young.

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• 0:00
• You The older looked out the window. It was a great day to play.
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• But which instrument?
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• The banjo? The ukulele? The bassooky? It was a great day to play. But which instrument? The banjo? The ukulele?
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• The bassooky? He turned and regarded the weather again, and then decided on his Spanish guitar. He carefully put it in the case, walked out the door, and headed for a quiet spot at the park.
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• 1:05
• He loved playing for animals. They really listened, unlike so many people that smiled but never stopped. He deftly checked his tuning, but was distracted by noise. Something was pushing through the strangling brush at the edge of tall shady trees. He saw the old guitar first, held high, and then its holder, scraped and tattered. A younger, perhaps thirteen or fourteen, arms and body scratched and bleeding. His gaze focused only on the older's acoustic guitar.
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• 1:46
• The older held the priceless craftsmanship out to the younger and asked, Would you like to play it? All he could do was nod. His mouth hung open, his eyes disbelieving about to play something he'd never dreamed of and only seen in the windows of the local luthier. They traded guitars.
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• 2:09
• Carefully, Younger held it and marveled at its lightness. Holding it like a chalice, he played all he knew as Older played Younger's guitar. It was magic, and Younger glowed with excitement as Older took the lead through key changes, different tempos, with chords Younger had never heard. No matter what Older played, Younger played something unexpected that worked and flowed. And when they finished, Older asked Younger if he'd like to
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• 2:47
• learn more, and Younger's head nodded like a bobble doll. Meet me at the statue in the park begin your lessons. This is how it began. do do do do do do do do
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• and and do do do do ♪ ♪
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• 4:50
• ♪ ♪ ♪ So... the the the the the
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• 7:17
• the For three hard years, Boulder grilled Younger on all aspects of music.
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• 7:48
• Then they moved through the stringed instruments, bazooki, oud, tambourine, ukulele, banjo, Mexican bass, and other stringed instruments the Younger never knew existed. Older had never seen anyone ravenously devour musical knowledge like Younger. But Older also spoke on life, love, desire, and many other things because Younger should know that music needs a good life to exist. Older taught confidence, how to act professionally, be on time, and stay open to whatever note was played. All these teachings revived Older's spirit. Going back to the basics
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• 8:37
• with Younger reminded him how healing it was to share and enjoy life again.
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• 8:46
• This is how it began. So... so Here we go. When Younger felt there was nothing more to know the song of the sea, or the birds in the trees, or the sound
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• 10:48
• of the wind?" Younger was astounded. The thoughts that were inspired by Older's questions excited the Younger so much, he couldn't sit. He jumped up, pacing back and forth, tumbling the idea of hearing his world as a song, as music like a symphony with a beat, a key. It made his mind race.
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• 11:20
• For the first time, Younger realized his knowledge merely scratched the surface of a much deeper world. He doubled his practice to keep up, and Older kept the brutal pace for another three years. And after ten thousand hours of lessons, and three times that in practicing alone, Older proclaimed Younger good enough to play with others and not pick up any bad habits.
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• 11:48
• Younger never felt...