Recently, I decided to spend a little extra money on something I've wanted for a while: a Fender acoustic-electric guitar. I've been out of practice for some time, and now I'm working on getting my guitar playing and songwriting skills back.
I'll be honest with you. Not a lot of people like my music. I'm not a particularly good singer, and I only know a handful of chords. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy making music. After all, art isn't always about pleasing an audience. Sometimes it's simply about the pleasure of creating something yourself.
However, it turns out I do have an audience, and a very enthusiastic one at that. Her name is Whiskey Kitty!
Ever since I brought my guitar home, Whiskey has been fascinated by it. She comes over to inspect it, sniff it and investigate this strange wooden object that suddenly makes music. I can almost hear her little kitty brain asking, "What is it? What is it for? Where does that sound come from?"
While I sit and practice my chords, Whiskey Kitty watches and listens with curiosity. She doesn't seem to care whether I miss a note, forget a chord or sing off-key. She's simply interested in what I'm doing. And there's something wonderful about having a small, furry audience that doesn't judge your performance.
In fact, I've even written a song about Whiskey Kitty. I'm waiting until my guitar playing improves enough to record it. Perhaps it won't become a hit record, but that's not really the point. It's a song about someone I love, and that's reason enough to write it.
As an artist, I've spent much of my life creating paintings, books and music for other people to enjoy. But I'm discovering that sometimes the most rewarding audience is the one sitting right beside you, listening without criticism or expectations.
So I'll keep practicing, writing songs and making music. Maybe someday I'll get good enough to perform at open mics again. In the meantime, I already have one devoted fan.
Cheers to you, Whiskey Kitty! You're my favorite little music critic, and you haven't given me a bad review yet!
by Dan and Bonkers
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