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Home > Music Teachers > jOHn Parschauer, Guitar

jOHn Parschauer

Summer 2007

How we got known to jOHn (he himself writes it like this - it's no typo) is quite funny:

On Independence Day (4th July) 2007 we just have been near Los Angeles. We decided to take a walk down to "Newport Beach" where there should have been some big parades and fireworks. The place was really crowded - parties all over the beach and people singing, dancing, drinking and playing music on the balconies or the roofs of their beach houses. However, we missed the parade (if there was any), but we talked to many nice people on the peer and the beach.

In the evening we were on the way back to our car to get our jackets, when we suddenly heard someone playing guitar and singing in a café. The guy played very well, and so we entered and sat down for a meal. You can believe us, jOHn was playing incredibly well. Therefore we gave him some of our pocket money in his box :). Of course, soon we had a talk with him (this is America) and learned that he also gave guitar lessons. So we made three appointments, on which he would show us something on his guitar.

One of our guitar lessons with jOHhn Parschauer.

One of our guitar lessons with jOHn.

In the end he even came to our apartment and gave us double lessons on three different days. He showed us all his cool tricks but also explained us very basic things. Per his own statement we received as many lessons as he would teach his other students during one year. He even allowed our Daddy to video tape everything so that we could re-watch it more often and repeat what we have learned.

He also gave us the tip to perform in pubs, so called "Open Microphones". But this story you better read on MonaLisa News/"Sol Grill" performance, Newport Beach, Los Angeles.

When we said goodbye on our last day he told us that he had started playing guitar much later that we did (with 16 years). That we soon would be able to play better than he does and that he definitely wants to learn something from us then. Isn't that sweet?

Of course he explained everything in English but nevertheless we understood him very well. Our pronunciation and certainty improved very much, because we were forced to speak English with him. So this was double benefit.

Summer 2008

In July 2008 we came back to California where we certainly visited jOHn again. He gave us another lesson and even organized us two gigs at Hennessey's Pub in Laguna Beach, CA (where he himself was playing)!!!

He improved very much on his voice and guitar (we thought that was impossible but he taught us better :) Except some new fingering and plucking techniques including finger percussion on the guitar body we also learned other important things: How can I let paper clips jump? How do I turn my plectrum (guitar pick) between the fingers that it softly clicks in the 3/4 rhythm? How do I form antennae out of used guitar strings? ... All very important things for a musician *hehe*

John Parschauer on Mullholand Drive, Los Angeles, CA

"Fire Lord" in his element: Video Shooting on Mulholland Drive

As a Thanks for all that we shot some music videos of jOHn on Mulholland Drive (a very popular street in Los Angeles) which he already has published on YouTube. Besides our dad filmed jOHn's performance in Hennessey's pub ... You have to cast a glance at it, but come back!

During our video shooting on Mulholland Drive we got new nick names. In the future, please do address jOHn by "Fire Lord" only. He was the keeper of the fire, Lisa the keeper of the wind and Mona the keeper of the rain. As it was extremly dry on Mulholland Drive and fire danger was very high, these three elements loomed large ;) It was pretty windy that day and there was also horse pooh (you know what we mean) on the street which was a dirt road on that part. Only because she was standing just right next to it, Lisa got the not very honorable nick name "Windy Pooh" (after the comic bear Winnie Pooh). Mona was just "Rain Something" and as jOHn thought up all this nonsense, he of course was (very modestly) "Fire Lord". Best you forget these names quickly!

Hey jOHn - uh sorry, Fire Lord,

We wanna say thanks for all your good lessons and for the great time we had with you. You helped us a lot and in that short time you showed us so many good tricks and funny nonsense, thaaank you! It was cool to see you again this year although you are traveling a lot because of the music. We are very proud to know you. You are one of the best (and of course coolest... haha J) guitarists we know and we want to get as good as you which is very very very difficult ;)

We really miss you and we count on you to come to Austria next year!

Yours, Mona and Lisa (Rain Something and Windy Pooh)

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