Greetings Fellow Lakewoodites,
I’ve been away from these pages for awhile, because life happens.
It’s good to be back.
Yes, it’s been awhile since I’ve offered a new column for you, I will admit.
I used to have a “Pulse of the City” regular bi-weekly column in the Lakewood Observer, and you can still read many of those columns online in the archives of this project, if you would be so inclined.
Many of those columns centered around Lakewood’s history, while quite a few of them dealt with the many wonderful educational and musical happenings and memories that pervade this city.
With the help of LO publisher Jim O’Bryan, we’ve also produced a few videos for this project, including playing “The Thanksgiving Hymn” on a turkey baster, and “Silent Night” on the musical saw. Those two are still out there in Internet Land for your perusal.
I’m a retired special education teacher, and I’ve also served the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since before they opened, as “Guitar Guy Gary” for those who care about such things as much as I do.
If these exploits seem like eclectic interests to you, indeed they have been for me too. For many years, being a teacher for special needs kids was my primary advocacy in life. Growing up here in Lakewood, having multiple disabilities, I learned first-hand just how difficult it was for a special needs child to cope with extraordinary challenges, and so I resolved to roll up my sleeves, and become a small part of whatever solutions might be found for kids having those issues.
Even at the Rock Hall, I was determined to lobby for kids. Today at the Hall, there’s a terrific educational area, where kids can interact with real instruments and computerized programs that will help them to get started on that musical journey. Additionally, there’s a first-class acoustic player’s lounge supplied with high quality guitars and over-stuffed furniture, where you can sit down and jam with your friends. Next to that is a 2-stall Lakewood-style garage built right into the Hall, and well supplied with instruments and amplifiers, where you can get your garage rocking electric guitar buzz back! You might go in, pick up a guitar, and find yourself jamming with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Band, or even with a visiting Rock star. Have I done so? Oh yeah, but I digress here.
Having survived the ‘60’s several times now, (Get it?) I suppose I’m entitled to a bit of digression from time to time.
Anyway...
Did you know that there’s a world-renowned “Lakewood” guitar company that was named after our city? Sure is! In the ‘80’s, an ambitious young man named Martin Seeliger in Germany had just completed his guitar building training, and decided to start his own very high quality steel string guitar company. Germany had been well known for classical nylon-stringed guitars, but steel string acoustic guitars were very much a specialized market, and quite frankly, the ‘80’s were a rough time for guitar companies, in any case. It was the era of the synthesizer, and many guitar companies around the world were going out of business, left and right.
Still, Mr. Seeliger was a highly talented (and optimistic) guy, and he was convinced that there would always be a market for a superlative hand-finished fairly-priced acoustic guitar, but then, there was the problem of finding a name for it. After perusing a map, his finger fell on Lakewood, Ohio. He loved the name Lakewood, and it stuck! Over the next 30 years, Lakewood guitars would consistently represent the highest pinnacle of sound and quality. Guitars could be purchased either off the shelf, or custom designed to suit the needs of the original player.
Not long ago, I found a used Lakewood guitar in a local store, and had the opportunity to evaluate it, which did not take long, as it immediately went home with me. You don’t see too many Lakewood guitars around, and this was the first one that I’d laid eyes on.
I immediately contacted Mr. Seeliger and informed him that “Guitar Guy Gary” had one of his guitars, and that I happened to be a long-time Lakewood resident, as well! He seemed quite pleased.
I think that it’s really cool that our city’s name has been so well represented around the world by this very special guitar maker!
Back to practicing my guitar...
