Strings That Held Me Together
"Music is life. That’s why our hearts have beats." That quote was printed on a photo I once saw online. And it stuck with me. I didn’t realize it …
Author: Tony Polecastro
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Bucket Lists and Barre Chords
It was May of 2020. I had just turned 62.
I was sitting in the spare bedroom of my Florida home—the one I used as my office—and I was scared. Ups…
The Guitar That Waited For Me
For me, the guitar has always been more than strings and wood. It’s a magical device that speaks directly to the soul. It lets you communicate with …
From Heart Attack to Guitar Comeback
Lifting concrete blocks for exercise seemed healthy—until it didn’t. January 1, 2022. A crisp, cold morning filled with sunshine and optimism for …
When the Music Found Me Again
When I paused at 63 to ask what still brought me joy, I found an old dream waiting to be lived. The year I was 17 was special. It was the year I embra…
How D Major Saved My Life
A single chord, strummed in a basement during lockdown, became the spark that helped me heal. By Donald Bialk I can still recall the exact…
The Sweetest Applause
For years, I told my students, “It’s okay to mess up. That’s how we learn.”
They’d struggle with typing or math or spelling, and I’d coac…
Strings Through the Pain
The day of the accident changed everything. My wife and I were driving home from one of my daughter’s cross-country meets when it happened. One minu…
Strings of Healing
In January 2020, I named it “The Year of Perfect Vision.” Not because life was clear—far from it. I was sick, really sick, and no one could figu…