The Guitar Lady in the Bleachers

Tony Polecastro November 7, 2025

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How six strings became my lifeline through pain, parenthood, and finding myself again

By Julie Boisclair

I was sitting in my classroom with Charlotte, our fundraiser, when my back pain suddenly worsened. Within seconds, everything went black. I woke up face-first on the floor, disoriented and embarrassed, with tears running down my face. Charlotte ran to get help, and together they managed to lift me onto a table.

That moment changed everything.

The next three months were a blur of pain and recovery. I couldn’t walk, couldn’t teach, couldn’t live normally. And when it happened again a few months later, I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever get my life back.

Physiotherapy, doctors, specialists—nothing seemed to help. The pain just lingered, relentless. All while raising a toddler and trying to keep my job going.

The first few years were agony, and my mental health took a serious hit. It was hard to accept that my body had other plans for me. But slowly, I started to realize that acceptance didn’t have to mean giving up.

I began reading about neuro-pathways and habit formation. If pain could rewire my brain, maybe I could build new habits that gave me something else to focus on.

That’s when I decided I needed something to occupy my mind—something that would pull me out of what I called “the hamster wheel of misery.”

So one day, I went to my local guitar store and came home with a guitar. I didn’t have a plan or any idea what I was doing. I just started teaching myself a few chords and watching YouTube videos.

Something clicked. When I pressed those strings and heard a sound, even if it wasn’t perfect, the noise in my head quieted. Not completely, but enough to make a difference.

The bug had bitten. I found one guitar teacher, then another, and eventually one who just fit. He was kind, patient, full of stories about songs and musicians—his lessons were exactly what I needed.

Finding time to play was no small thing. Teaching full-time, raising kids, getting everyone where they needed to go—it was a marathon. But guitar became my second wind.

I started bringing my guitar to the pool during my daughter’s practices. Before long, people started calling me the guitar lady in the bleachers.

In the summer, I’d sit under a tree while the kids had their activities. At home, life was loud and busy, but these little pockets of time became sacred. My guitar was my pause button, my reset.

Guitar carried me through a lot—through back pain that never fully left, through raising kids, and even through a divorce during COVID.

It’s more than a hobby to me now. It’s my first aid kit, my mental break, and the smile I reach for when days get rough.

Along the way, I’ve met some incredible people—friends I swap songs and stories with, including two who’ve never met me in person but have touched my life deeply. Music has a way of connecting people like that.

And somehow, I ended up in a band.

I’m the least experienced player, but they cheer for every bit of progress and push me to keep learning. Our singer has a voice that gives me chills—and she’s the one who inspired me to start taking singing lessons myself.

She also runs a group called Guitarmamas—a joyful, no-pressure community of women who just love playing together. I joined, and it’s been one of the most fun and freeing things I’ve ever done.

Recently, while visiting my brother, I was playing guitar at his house. Watching me gave him the nudge to start learning, too. Now we get to share that together.

That’s the thing about inspiration—you never know who it’ll reach, or when.

Guitar has given me more than music. It’s given me peace, connection, and community. The pain is still there, but it’s different now.

It’s on me to make sure my life stays in tune.

Categories: Guitar Stories

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