For my STEP Signature Project, I purchased a Fender Stratocaster guitar and attended virtual guitar lessons once a week. In addition to the weekly meetings with my instructor, I practiced during my free time to improve my skills and prepare for each lesson. Going into my project, I could play a few basic chords and keep a steady rhythm, but I wanted to learn the intricacies of playing the guitar.

My STEP project was not only fun, but it showed me that I can take on the challenge of trying new things and succeeding. I have always loved music and been interested in learning the ins and outs of playing the guitar, but the idea of sitting down and learning each note on the fret board was extremely intimidating. However, as my project progressed, I noticed that working with my instructor and practicing in my free time allowed me to improve my skills a little bit each week.

Although I am certainly not a professional guitarist at this point, I can confidently say that I am a much better musician than I was prior to starting my project. This growth has given me a new perspective on my own ability to try new things, even if they seem intimidating or overwhelming at first. I am so glad I took a chance on myself, and I feel excited by the idea of trying more new hobbies and projects in the future.

There were multiple factors that contributed to the transformation I saw in myself over the course of my project. Most notably, my relationship with my instructor, Maxwell, greatly affected my experience. Additionally, my final two guitar lessons were extremely impactful in proving that I can handle the challenge of trying something new and succeeding.

I feel fortunate that I was able to work with an instructor as talented and encouraging as Maxwell. He guided me through each lesson and encouraged me to learn material that was challenging but doable. Because of this, each time I mastered a guitar riff or understood a concept of music theory that seemed impossible at first, I felt extremely proud of myself. Maxwell saw potential in me, and he taught me with an enthusiasm and patience that fostered a productive learning environment. I owe much of my transformation from this project to our collaboration.

My final two guitar lessons also played a huge role in my transformation. I felt like I was learning a great deal as my lessons progressed each week, but I struggled because I felt like all the pieces of the puzzle would not fit together. I would learn important concepts, but I had a difficult time putting the ideas together to see the bigger picture. Despite Maxwell’s reassurance that things would fall into place eventually, I felt discouraged at times. During my last two lessons, however, I was able to see how the things I previously learned connected. I was so excited to finally understand how the ideas I had been learning about for months combined to create full songs. I was even more excited to realize I could write my own songs with the knowledge I gained. The clarity I felt during my last two lessons made my doubt disappear and proved that I am more than capable of taking on new things.

Proving to myself that I can take on new challenges and skills matters a great deal in my life. Over the past year, I have thought about my future and what gives life its purpose. I found that there are a multitude of factors that make my life feel meaningful, especially through creative expression and hobbies. Life can be hectic at times, and having hobbies and creative outlets is such a great way to relieve stress. I plan to attend graduate school in the coming years and enter the field of physical therapy, so the stress of life is not slowing down anytime soon. However, by showing myself that I can succeed with new skills through my STEP project, I opened the door to trying even more hobbies that can be used as stress relief to provide meaning in my life. I hope to continue to improve as a guitarist, and I am excited to try more new projects in the future.

For my STEP project, I took intensive guitar lessons with an instructor with the intention of improving my skills in the instrument. I already had a foundation of playing guitar that I’d picked up in the previous year, but having an instructor corrected some of the bad habits I’d taught myself and provided me with key details I’d been missing to progress. At the end of my project, I learned a lot about music theory, strumming patterns, reading tabs and music, and improved my overall playing.

I wanted to do this STEP project because I knew I had trouble taking criticism and correcting. I felt like I had to be perfect at anything I tried and let that stop me from improving certain skills, putting myself out there, or asking for help. Getting an instructor for something I’m not very good at allowed me to confront those issues head-on and get used to getting feedback.

After receiving lessons from my instructor for so many weeks, I’ve taken a lot of constructive criticism and applied it to my work to make myself a better guitar player. When you’re learning a musical instrument, there is always something to improve, whether it’s chord changes, strumming, clarity, or just general performance. I have received feedback in just about all of these areas, but the more I’ve gotten it, the easier it’s been to not feel embarrassed and apply it to my work.

Another thing about this ability to take criticism is that it helps me to reflect on the areas I actually need to improve. While my guitar instructor would commend me in the areas I’m doing well, he would also point out the areas I need to practice. This helped me realize the things I was good at were the things I enjoyed doing and practiced a lot. The things I needed to improve were the

 things I dreaded practicing.

This has helped me change the way I think about my own abilities. Being good at something does not mean it’s effortless. Olympians are good at their sports because they put time and energy into them. The same can be said for any skill. Not being good at something right away doesn’t mean I’m bad at it. It means I’m still learning and won’t get better until I put in the work. This has been a great realization to have during the course of this project because I can have more realistic and kinder expectations for myself and my abilities

This ability to take feedback and criticism will help me greatly as I continue into adulthood and get a job. Instead of being afraid to get feedback and letting that hinder my growth, this STEP project has allowed me to get comfortable with the idea of mistaking mistakes. In reality, everyone makes mistakes pretty much every single day of our lives. I have to reckon with that and understand that criticism is something that I can take with fear, or with the ability to apply it in a way that will help me grow.