We’re a few months into working from home here at Net Health, and we’re all missing the daily interactions with our friends and co-workers in the office. But we see the glass as half-full and want to continue connecting and learning from each other. Using our creative minds and technological resources, Net Healthers have been holding what we’re calling “virtual field trips” for everyone in the company to have the chance to learn new skills. These virtual field trips range from cooking lessons to learning how to line dance, to most recently, how to play guitar.
User Experience Designer Paul Schillinger recent held his own virtual field trip where he showed those in attendance some basics of how to play the guitar. It was a no brainer for Paul to teach the guitar, as he’s been playing since his dad introduced him to the instrument when he was seven. Paul explains:
“My Dad started playing guitar when he was younger, and still does to this day. When my sisters and I were growing up, he pushed all of us to learn piano, which we did to varying levels of success. Personally, I hated playing the piano and I was never very good at it, but he didn’t want me to quit on music. Finally, after two failed attempts at trying to learn the piano, I remember asking my Mom if I could just learn the guitar instead. Dad was cool with it and I’ve been playing ever since.”
Paul’s lesson started by showing the various parts of the guitar like the frets, neck, and strings, and then he taught the G, C, D, and E minor chords, demonstrating how those basic chords can be turned into a song. See below
After teaching some fundamentals and a lesson on how to play a song using simple chords, Paul wrapped up his virtual field trip by teaching the legendary riff of “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream, a song that’s tied to his early beginnings of learning the guitar:
“One day I was holding my dad’s guitar and he just told me where to put my fingers and press down; eventually, “Sunshine of Your Love” came out. From there, he showed me how to produce harmonics on the guitar and I thought it was so cool!”
Paul’s first virtual field trip proved a success, with over a dozen people in attendance to learn the basics of the complex instrument. There wasn’t a frown in the audience and Paul’s fun teaching style really resonated with them as they played along. When asked if he would do another virtual field trip, Paul would totally be up for it:
“I really appreciate everyone who took the time out to watch me talk about the guitar; I hope it was a nice, relaxing distraction from the rest of the craziness that is the workday. If I had the opportunity, I think I would teach a class on traditional African dances. I was in the African Music and Dance Ensemble while I was at the University of Pittsburgh, and I absolutely fell in love with it. The drumming and dancing were so much fun, and the people I met in the class are still some of my best friends.”
Keep on strumming, Net Healthers!
