Channel your love for music into creating your own

Music is a universal language; it speaks to anyone willing to take the time out of his or her day to listen.

This is why artists hailing from the United States frequently play to sell out crowds at venues all over the world.

Almost everyone can think of a song that they feel speaks to them.

Those who enjoy listening to music, regardless of the style or genre, should channel their interests into actually learning to play an instrument. It is challenging, but rewarding in the end.

For the past 10 years, I have found that playing guitar is a great method of venting frustration, artistic expression and is a great way to escape boredom.

I have met many people who say, "I wish I could play, I just don’t have the talent."

But the truth is, nobody has the talent the first time they pick up any musical instrument. Jimi Hendrix wasn’t "Jimi Hendrix" the first time he picked up a guitar. As a child, he spent hours in his bedroom practicing and learning the skills that would make him a legend.

It takes patience and dedication to learn any instrument. This isn’t to say it is easy. There is much to learn when it comes to music – in a way, it is a language.

Just as you can’t expect learn Spanish in a day, the same goes for music.

One of the greatest aspects of music is that it a never-ending journey. It doesn’t matter how long a musician plays, he or she can always learn more and get better.

There are no limits or boundaries to music; it will go as far you want it to go.

Although many musicians are self-taught, it may be helpful for a beginner to start with lessons.

If you are looking to find an instructor, look for advertisements posted on bulletin boards in the halls of the WVU Creative Arts Center.

There are always graduate students looking to teach for some extra cash, or even credits.

Visit music.wvu.edu for a list of instructors and lessons offered by the WVU School of Creative Arts.

If financial aid won’t pay for lessons and paying for them is out of your budget, don’t worry, we are in the age of the Internet.

Going to Youtube.com and searching for guitar lessons makes learning easy. There are thousands of videos of musicians showing you how to play just about any song or method you wish to learn – if you are looking for the correct way to play song, you may have to search for a while; not everyone who posts on the site is actually good enough to teach.

If you are set on learning guitar, another great way to learn is using the video game Rocksmith, for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

The game revolutionizes the difficulties of learning guitar. Unlike Guitar Hero and Rock Band, this game actually teaches the player how to play guitar. It features a large list of artists to learn from – including Tom Petty, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Black Keys – and features minigames to help with specific techniques.

While the game does cost around $60, plus the price of a guitar, it is much cheaper in the long run than paying for private lessons.

Deciding on a method to learn is different for everybody, and it depends on the style in which you wish to learn.

Classical music, for example, is best learned from a trained professional. There is too much to learn on your own.

If you just want to learn a few easy songs to strum beside a campfire, Youtube.com will probably have what you’re looking for.

So, the next time you are listening to music, turn it off, pick up an instrument.