Kalel's guitar playing

Back in the Fall of 2008, we were in Costco one day with Kalel. He had been asking us for a guitar for a while. He wanted to learn how to play. So Charles bought him an electric/amp starter set. It sat in his closet for a few months unplayed. We had a friend visit for a week or so and the friend wanted to know why Kalel wasn't playing his guitar and if he could play it. Kalel has a really hard time sharing his stuff (he likes to keep his things nice for as long as possible). Being the good friend that he is, Kalel said yes. All it takes for Kalel to want to do something is a challenge. And this friend is good at challenging Kalel to do new things. Kalel picked up his guitar, started playing with it, found a YouTube video with instructions and half an hour later, he knew the intro to Smells Like Teen Spirit.

He is 11 here with his first guitar.
 

A while later (maybe a year or so), he wanted an acoustic. I didn't have a lot of money for a good expensive one at the time, so we got him a cheaper starter guitar. He started learning acoustic styling from watching YouTube videos, online sites and playing guitar with friends at their houses. Eventually, he outgrew both of his starters guitars. He needed an upgrade.

Charles had started working on bikes and cycling and collecting things having to do with cycling. He had received a foldable bike that retails around $600 brand new.  A friend of his didn't need it anymore so he gave it to Charles. He had brought it home for Kalel to use. Kalel had another bike that Charles had given him and he decided to sell the bike to get a new guitar. I posted it on Craig's List in my name since Kalel was most comfortable with us doing it this way. A man from Walla Walla contacted me and was in town, wanted to meet and see the bike. We both went to meet him, close to the house, and negotiated a good agreeable price for the bike. Kalel then used the money to put a new acoustic guitar on layaway. We helped him pay the difference between what he had and how much more he needed. He is able to play much better on the acoustic he has now. It is much better quality.

Kalel at 14 with his 2nd acoustic



 

He has never had a lesson. Everything he knows is from natural learning and talent. He practices everyday for hours. He wants to be a finger style guitarist. He has learned how to do covers of songs and one that he worked on for quite a while is a cover of Andy McKee's Drifting.

He records these himself in his room. He wants to upgrade his mic for better quality sound and then he will do more covers. I like giving him challenges to learn new songs. My latest request is Welcome to the Jungle. He should start working on it soon.