Hi Emily,

How long have you been playing guitar? Did you study music in college?

-Christie P.
Chicago, IL

Hi Christie,

I started taking guitar lessons (maybe a year or two?) when I was in second grade. The lessons didn't resonate with me, but I learned enough of the basics to start playing by ear with the radio, which came very naturally. I also took one semester of classical guitar lessons in college, which was a real struggle! It did, however, improve my finger picking technique. My limited ability to read music came mostly from singing with choral groups during high school.

Someday, I would like to become more classically trained, and I suspect it would open up even more doors for my songwriting. But, I feel lucky that my lack of formal training in music hasn't impeded me from playing and writing my own songs, or becoming a professional musician.

Thanks for the question!

Cheers,