Home from Guitar Center. I want to "jam" with one of my students' daddies. What is a professional to do?

@TheHorse (217891)
Walnut Creek, California
October 17, 2023 11:52pm CST
I have a piano student named Althea. Althea is a famous Grateful Dead song. The lyrics are written by Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia's main lyricist. They evoke (invoke?) Greek mythology, Shakespeare, and every day life. Some say that Hunter may have written the lyrics in part to warn Garcia about his (Garcia's) bad habits. My student's father loves the Grateful Dead, perhaps the best rock 'n roll band in American history. So do I. I have been listening to the song Althea, and figuring out the chords, as well as Jerry Garcia's leads. I am almost to the point where I could play it. I am half tempted to ask the dad how well he knows the song, and whether he would like a "free" guitar lesson. But I want to be professional and teach his daughter piano. What would you do in my situation? I was the best singer in a rock band a few years ago. I sang the Grateful Dead's Franklin's Tower, but was frustrated to have the song butchered by a "learning " guitarist (it was his band) who sounded about as much like Jerry Garcia as I sound like (the great) Joni Mitchell. I'll attach a good 1989 version of Althea, not our butchered version of Franklin's Tower.
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9 people like this
9 responses
Amber
@AmbiePam (91947)
• United States
18 Oct 23
How old is the daughter? If you said already, I'm sorry for not seeing it. Unless she is super young, why not just ask her if she minded if you gave her dad a separate lesson? Otherwise, I wouldn't offer the free lesson. But you're the expert, not me. Unless we're talking DoorDash. I'm now off to check out your link. *Does that song sound like Tom Petty to you?
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Oct 23
Here's the first music video Vanny (of MyLot fame) and I did together. It was before we started battling about what photos to use on our videos. It is still one of my favorites. Sorry if you have seen it too many times before.
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1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Oct 23
She is in Fifth Grade. That means she is either (counting on my fingers, even though I took Calculus and Linear Algebra) 10 or 11.
2 people like this
Anna
@LadyDuck (470776)
• Switzerland
18 Oct 23
The name Althaea has roots in Greek mythology, it translates to “healer of wounds”. I cannot remember if I ever heard this song, so now I am going to listen.
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (470776)
• Switzerland
19 Oct 23
@TheHorse Greek mythology is mainly brutal, the same as Roman mythology, the Gods are the same, only the name are different (The Greek Zeus is the Roman Jupiter, Poseido is Neptune and so on). I found the song interesting even if not my favorite kind.
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (470776)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 23
@TheHorse - We had a couple of excellent lyricists among Italian singers. Now we have rappers!
changjiangzhibin89
@changjiangzhibin89 (16749)
• China
18 Oct 23
You might as well rehearse the song with your student's Dad to see how well he does.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Oct 23
I will continue to have conversations with the dad about guitar. But I don't want the child to be overwhelmed by the adults around her.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137249)
• United States
18 Oct 23
I hope you enjoyed your evening at Guitar Center, pony.
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137249)
• United States
18 Oct 23
@TheHorse I'm glad you enjoyed yourself and hope things work out for the father and daughter.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Oct 23
@DaddyEvil Eh, I'll just lay low and see what happens.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Oct 23
It was fun. And interesting. I'll keep talking to the dad about guitar. But I don't want to take attention away from the child. I want her to assert HERSELF musically, not be a shadow of her father.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (338657)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Oct 23
You've probably had the next lesson by now so what did you do?
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Oct 23
Not yet. But I have been listening to the song a lot and think I have it figured out.
1 person likes this
MrsJ
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
18 Oct 23
No clue on how to handle that one! Good luck!
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Oct 23
At some point, I'll just casually ask the dad if he knows the chords to Althea. I think I have most of them figured out.
1 person likes this
BarBaraPrz
@BarBaraPrz (47125)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
18 Oct 23
Has either of them mentioned that Dad was interested in (or actually) playing the guitar?
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Oct 23
Heh. He actually picked up my Collings when he came into my lesson with Althea. He knows how to play guitar. But I don't know how well.
1 person likes this
Judy Story
@jstory07 (139354)
• Roseburg, Oregon
18 Oct 23
You might ask the Dad if he would like one free lesson just to see what happens.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Oct 23
I may do it. But I will wait until his daughter feels "secure" in her lessons. I think she has some real potential as well.
1 person likes this
LindaOH
@LindaOHio (176652)
• United States
18 Oct 23
It doesn't hurt to ask. Good luck. Have a great day.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Oct 23
I'll check in with him again. But I want the focus to be on his daughter.
1 person likes this