News Staffer Emlyn McKinney’s “Personal Narrative” graphic is shown above. Playing guitar has been a way for McKinney to process their feelings for the last four years. “Playing guitar brings me so much comfort. It’s satisfying to hear a song echo around my room, especially when I’ve worked hard to make my movements fluid over the years,” McKinney wrote. “And on bad days, I can disappear into the music and strum chords at full volume.” Graphic by Lea D’Angelo
News Staffer Emlyn McKinney reflects on their four years of playing guitar and what it has meant to them.
Hi, I’m Emlyn McKinney. I am a sophomore at Clarke Central High School and a News Staffer for the ODYSSEY Media Group. For the past few years, OMG writers have explored writing personal narratives. These essays discuss how a specific event in a person’s life has shaped them. This is my personal narrative: “The sound of strings.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people worldwide started new hobbies to cope with the stress. The most common pursuits included baking bread and crafting. I picked up playing guitar.
I grew up in a musical family, listening to my relatives playing instruments at every opportunity. They once tried to teach me to play guitar, but it didn’t click. However, one morning during the pandemic, I stumbled upon a YouTube channel.
The channel belonged to Nandi Bushell, a young musician known for covering popular rock songs. Seeing her enjoy playing her drums, electric bass and electric guitar motivated me to pick up an instrument. I was half-joking when I mentioned I wanted to learn guitar, but my mom immediately signed me up for lessons at Oconee Music.
I started learning the basics on a loaner acoustic, masked and across the room from my teacher. Soon after, I received a classical guitar of my own, making my practice official. Since those lessons, I’ve been hooked. That was four years ago this September.
I’ve never had the best track record of staying with a hobby, so when I started playing, I was unsure of how long it would stick.
However, it always draws me back. The rounded sound of the nylon strings and the bends of the notes. The slide of the fretboard. Being able to finally keep up with the adults playing their respective instruments. Even my mistakes added to the melody.
Playing guitar brings me so much comfort. It’s satisfying to hear a song echo around my room, especially when I’ve worked hard over the years to make my movements fluid. And on bad days, I can strum chords at full volume and disappear into the music.
What started as a pandemic hobby transitioned into a way for me to bond with my family and regulate my emotions. When I look to the future, I see myself falling in love with playing the guitar over and over again.
