Student Spotlight: Roxanne Thomas
(By Karin Cravotta)
Roxanne Thomas has wanted to learn to play guitar since she was a teenager.
“I saved babysitting money and bought a guitar thinking it would be fun and easy to learn how to play. I was a big fan of The Eagles, and thought it would be great to play their songs at parties.” While she tried learning several times over the years, she confesses she was “never consistent.” Meanwhile, all three of her children learned to play on her guitar, and her son went on to study guitar and guitar theory at the University of Oregon. “This instrument is like a member of the family, and really the only thing I still have from my childhood. While living in England, my daughter accidentally left it on a train, and we thought it was gone for good. But someone found it and turned it in, and we got it back.” Forty years after her initial purchase, Roxanne decided the timing was right for her to finally pick the guitar back up. “I'm much less critical of myself at this point in my life.” |
While out walking her dog, Roxanne passed the Resound NW studio and followed up by reading Maria [Olaya’s] profile on the website. “Maria’s teaching style appealed to me in that she strives to help beginning students find their own voice with the instrument. She is so encouraging and positive and genuine with her praise, I couldn't have hoped for a better instructor. Maria has helped me to discover that I am a classical guitarist, and I have developed a deeper appreciation for this style of music.”
Roxanne performed for the first time at our Fall Studio Gathering. “The Gathering was fun but it did make me a little anxious. Having Maria play with me gave me the confidence to get up in front of an audience. My hand was shaking before I started, but I just forgot about being nervous during the piece. The whole event was so comfortable and supportive, it was fun to take part in.” According to Maria, “Roxanne is an incredibly brave, hard working guitarist: I asked her to play a difficult piece, it was her first performance ever, and she did a solo in spite of the nerves, in a beautiful way. It is truly an honor for me to teach Roxanne.” Roxanne delighted the Resound NW community again this winter with her performance at our annual Holiday Sing-Along Spectacular.
Roxanne performed for the first time at our Fall Studio Gathering. “The Gathering was fun but it did make me a little anxious. Having Maria play with me gave me the confidence to get up in front of an audience. My hand was shaking before I started, but I just forgot about being nervous during the piece. The whole event was so comfortable and supportive, it was fun to take part in.” According to Maria, “Roxanne is an incredibly brave, hard working guitarist: I asked her to play a difficult piece, it was her first performance ever, and she did a solo in spite of the nerves, in a beautiful way. It is truly an honor for me to teach Roxanne.” Roxanne delighted the Resound NW community again this winter with her performance at our annual Holiday Sing-Along Spectacular.
Recently, Roxanne has expanded her musical aspirations by taking voice lessons with her friend, Margaret. “She has sung before and has a lovely voice. I am starting from scratch with voice and there is so much to learn. Brian [Hotchkin] is very knowledgeable and makes our lessons fun and playful. Taking lessons with a friend gives me so much more confidence and takes some of the pressure off of being a solo singer.”
Roxanne’s enthusiasm for her lessons and dedication to learning are contagious. When asked what advice she has to offer a potential student, she says wisely, “Don’t let fear hold you back. The joy you get from succeeding at something you have always wanted to do far outweighs the fear. The confidence gained from attempting a new skill rolls over into so many other areas of your life. Go for it! You will never regret trying something new.” |