Notes Of A Tunesmith
(Tales Of A Troubadour)

"I thought I'd died."

Say What?
It is hard to explain. Speaking about speaking in a universal language is hard to explain. Wondering who is listening is also very interesting. The actual communication in a universal language isn't that weird. But, talking about talking and hearing about hearing a universal language in a non-universal language, such as English, is the odd part.

Smiling might be considered a universal language? Music might be another universal language? Smiling about music quite likely evokes a universal understanding. [Hmmm... I was going to say, "How about someone smiling and dancing to music?" You know what I mean? Perhaps dancing is a universal language. However, too often I've witnessed dancing confused with convulsions or sickness. So, for now, we'd better leave it to further study. Heehehe.]

Anyway, with a universal language -- it doesn't matter how old you are... or how young... it doesn't matter how smart you are... or how dumb.

Following are a few notes about universal languages and playing music out on the streets for smiles. The recollections are not necessarily in chronological order. Rather, they are just a collection of notes that will hopefully strike a chord.

Heaven Or Hell?
The other day I was playing the guitar while sitting on a bench by Main Street... when a good example of universal languages happened upon me. The scene also demonstrated the simplicity of a universal language versus the complexity of understanding the English language.

There I was... strumming away... in what I thought was a fairly secluded environment. Unbeknownst to me was a man behind me inside his place of business. He walked out of his door and stared me in the eyes with a startled look on his face. He said to me, "I thought I'd died!"

"Geeze!" I thought to myself, "I don't consider myself one of the world's most famous and greatest guitar players. But, I didn't know I was that God-awful? This guy thinks he's just been run over by an 18-wheeler-6-stringed-airhorn?"

Dazed and confused, I just sat there with a dumbfounded look on my face.

He continued on, "I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Your guitar sounded like a harp to me. And, I thought I was with the angels."

"Phew! I thought to myself, "Thank God!"

Indeed... thank God!