Yesterday morning I was sitting at my regular spot in Coffee Time (see post from 10/28/2014).
| Just as Ernest Hemingway used to like to hang at the Cafe Iruna in Pamplona, Spain, |
| ....I like to hang at Coffee Time in Gahanna, Ohio. |
| The checkerboard table is "my" spot. |
Anyway, I was working on yesterday's blog about how back in my day young people used to sing and play the guitar. And as I wrote, lost in memories of the music of my youth all those years ago, I could actually hear guitar music.
No, I mean, I actually could hear guitar music.
I looked up from my laptop and there behind the counter stood the young barista strumming a small Spanish guitar.
"Oh wow," I exclaimed, walking over to the counter, "I was just writing about how mine was the musical generation that just pulled out guitars and started playing anywhere, and here you pull out a guitar and start playing!"
We began chatting, and the friendly barista, whose name is Tommy, assured me that his generation loves their music as much as mine loved ours and that young people still do get together to play and jam, as he does with his group. He pointed out, though, that our generational styles were very different, as folk music that people back in my day played was more acoustic (not electrically enhanced) while his contemporaries tend to dabble in producing electronic techno sounds, such as dubstep (pop music made up mostly of repeating drum rhythm and a bass line - you'd know it if you heard it) and electronic dance music. He admitted that a group of people sitting around singing while someone strummed a guitar would be more rare.
Then he played some of his music for me. It was neither techno-pop nor kumbaya-style strumming, but beautiful flamenco-style classical guitar pieces that Tommy had composed himself.
I was impressed by his playing and asked him if he'd studied guitar for a long time. He said that he'd taught himself to play from the internet and from books. And from many hours of practice, I thought to myself.
As this was the first time I'd ever seen Tommy at Coffee Time or heard him play I asked him if his playing might become a regular attraction here. He said he does bring his guitar with him to work at Coffee Time, but that he mostly plays evenings over at Three Creeks on Mill Street at Creekside in downtown Gahanna. Three Creeks is also owned by Coffee Time proprietor Sally Held.
We began chatting, and the friendly barista, whose name is Tommy, assured me that his generation loves their music as much as mine loved ours and that young people still do get together to play and jam, as he does with his group. He pointed out, though, that our generational styles were very different, as folk music that people back in my day played was more acoustic (not electrically enhanced) while his contemporaries tend to dabble in producing electronic techno sounds, such as dubstep (pop music made up mostly of repeating drum rhythm and a bass line - you'd know it if you heard it) and electronic dance music. He admitted that a group of people sitting around singing while someone strummed a guitar would be more rare.
Then he played some of his music for me. It was neither techno-pop nor kumbaya-style strumming, but beautiful flamenco-style classical guitar pieces that Tommy had composed himself.
I was impressed by his playing and asked him if he'd studied guitar for a long time. He said that he'd taught himself to play from the internet and from books. And from many hours of practice, I thought to myself.
As this was the first time I'd ever seen Tommy at Coffee Time or heard him play I asked him if his playing might become a regular attraction here. He said he does bring his guitar with him to work at Coffee Time, but that he mostly plays evenings over at Three Creeks on Mill Street at Creekside in downtown Gahanna. Three Creeks is also owned by Coffee Time proprietor Sally Held.
In fact, if you're in the mood for some lovely live music Tommy and his Spanish guitar will be at Three Creeks tonight, Wednesday.
It's open 'til 8:00 pm.
It's open 'til 8:00 pm.
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