Language Journal

I hope your Friday is doing good! Mine is :)

So, lately I've been wanting to write more poetry and songs. I took poetry classes, and my Professor shared with us something I found to be extremely helpful and fun: keeping a Language Journal. This journal is meant for you to capture phrases, words, or ideas. In my poetry classes, we were required to keep one (talk about a fun homework assignment :) ) It certainly came to my aid when I was running out of ideas, or just stuck on a poem. It would make my poems stay fresh.

You can pretty much go anywhere, and be inspired. We are surrounded by Language. A lot of the things I jotted down in my journal were from sermons, The Bible, and worship songs. You'll notice that the things you capture reflect you :).

So, you can pick whatever journal you would like to use. It can be colorful. The smaller ones are good, so that you can carry them around. My Professor's Language Journal looked like a map. She had words circled and arrows flying around. There is really no format for this. Highlighting words that stick out to you is also a cool idea.

I leave you with this assignment. Happy Word Hunting :)!

                                  

Guitar Shopping

This is a pic of the Big Baby Taylor :) 

My first guitar was a guitar in a box. It was designed for beginners, and it came with a tuner, picks, dvd, and a gig bag. It was made by the Fender company. It did have a good sound to it, however the action (distance between strings and fretboard) was too high at the time I was learning (I didn't know it could be fixed). So, when I was trying to learn bar chords, it was very difficult for me. However, I managed to learn on it anyway.

So if you are looking for a guitar, make sure it has a good action. I also recommend getting a guitar that is in good shape. If it is very old, and rusty, you would have to invest in repairing it.

One guitar I really liked was the Big Baby Taylor. I highly recommend this guitar. It is a quality guitar, is a reasonable price, looks beautiful, and has an amazing sound to it! It is also great for traveling! It comes with a nice gig bag too that comes with a pocket to put your music in. I don't own a Big Baby (I have a baby taylor), but I have played with it on several occasions, and loved it!

Anyways, that is one guitar I would recommend if you wanted to start playing. What guitar would you recommend? I would love to hear about your first guitar!

FAQ: How did you learn guitar?

Hey bloggers!
I would like to answer some FAQs. So here's one I get a lot: How did you learn guitar?

Well, learning guitar was quite a journey, and it still is. I learned back in 2007. I was listening to Chris Tomlin's album "Arriving" and was immediately drawn to the sound of the guitar. I wanted to be able to do that! So, I bought a guitar in a box from guitar center one Thursday night (I think it was Thursday). I started strumming, and the most horrible sound came out. That's when I learned I needed to tune the guitar :).

I, then, got a chord book from a Chris Tomlin concert. I looked at the chord diagram, and would place my fingers where the dots were. I learned ONE song. I just had so many questions, and didn't really know anyone who could help me. So, I signed up for a guitar class at Pierce College. The best sixty dollars ever spent. Every day we'd learn a new chord, and music notes. This class is where I learned how to read music. Not only that, it also taught me how to perform in front of someone. I highly recommend taking this class, but you have to practice!

The following semester I took Classical Guitar. That's where I learned how to pluck and fingerpick.

Now, I mostly watch YouTube videos to learn new songs. I would love to receive more instruction, but it's $$. So, anyways, if you want to learn, YOU CAN. Before my guitar journey began at the age of 20, I prayed, and asked God to teach me. I believe He led me to the right places to learn. Often I would get discouraged because of my age. I thought I was too old, but that was a lie.

Anyways, that's my story on how I learned. I'd love to hear yours!

Welcome!

Hello everybody!
Welcome to The Chronicles of Claudia! I will try to share with you cool stuff. I am using my iPad, but I'm having trouble uploading pics...oh well. Okay well I want to make carrot cake.
Later