Peter Neri began playing the electric guitar as a teenager. While playing lead guitar with Connecticut rock groups in the 1970s, his bands opened for such legendary acts as The Lovin' Spoonful, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Dave Clark Five and Iron Butterfly.
Moving on with his life and musical interests, Peter put down the electric guitar for good in the 1980s. He moved to Vermont and began studying the classical guitar. While performing traditional classical guitar pieces, he also began writing music fo the acoustic guitar.
The release of "Night Visions" was Peter's first solo acoustic guitar CD. Many selections from this eclectic album have been aired on National Public Radio.
Peter is happily in Stage 5 of Guitaritis.
Send comments or questions to Peter Neri.
© Peter Neri
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Click here for a printer-friendly version of "The 5 Stages Of Guitaritis".
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A blue-ribbon panel of distinguished researchers concludes that Guitaritis
causes distinct patterns of behavior in affected patients during its
lifelong cycle. This disease seems to follow specific stages with fairly
predictable associated symptoms and activities as described below.
Stage 1: Discovery
A patient in this stage can often be found for countless hours behind closed
doors of a "music room". Family members or roommates are systematically
brainwashed by redundant phrases played by the patient, then played from a
tape/record/CD, then by the patient, then from a tape/record/CD, then by the
patient, etc.... This stage is chronic and there is no cure. The best that
concerned family members and friends can hope for during this time is to
wear earplugs and make periodic interruptions with food (pizza preferred
[easier to slip under the door]) and liquids (non-alcoholic preferred [straw
through the keyhole works]).
Stage 2: Obsession
This stage often overlaps with the Discovery stage but the patient becomes
increasingly glassy-eyed and unpredictable. This stage should be carefully
monitored. Symptoms may include:
- Day-long or even week-long periods in the "music room"
- Hours or days under the headphones
- Objects being thrown by the patient (although throwing a guitar is
occasionally reported, flying picks are much more common)
- Random vocal outbursts such as, "How in the world does he do that??" or
"C-major7 to C# is so wrong" (note that these vocalizations can happen at
odd times sometimes over a quiet dinner while the patient stares blankly
at the mashed potatoes, for example.)
Stage 3: Planning
This is an important stage of the affliction. Often times the patient,
having written some songs, plans to "make it big" and retire at an early
age. Hastiness with arranging recording time, CD release(s), marketing,
distribution and too much time perusing real estate in Laurel Canyon often
lead to the onset of Stage 4 with alarming rapidity. With careful guidance,
however, the effects of the 4th stage can be minimized or avoided
completely.
Stage 4: The Crash
Intervention by professionals is often required during this stage. The Crash
can occur at any age but usually comes between the ages of 28 and 39.
Patients are often disillusioned, melancholic and depressed when they face
up to the realization that they didn't retire by age 26. Their poorly
planned CD(s) and release(s), although chock full of great licks and even a
few great tunes, didn't bring them their life of fame and fortune. Sadly,
there is no Mercedes in the driveway, little money in the bank, and the
acreage is still available - and out of reach - in Laurel Canyon.
Stage 5: The Great Compromise
This stage can take many forms patients who went through Stage 3 without
having their feet firmly on the ground often have the most difficulty at
this point. Reports of wild-eyed middle aged chimney sweeps, maintenance
men, street beggars and part-time construction workers bemoaning "today's
music" and boring coworkers and acquaintances with their former guitar glory
days are, sadly, quite true.
Conversely, patients who went directly from Stage 3 to Stage 5, or who went
through Stage 4 with minimum duress are considered successful recovering
patients and often take up activities ranging from working in recording
studios, to giving guitar lessons, to working in music stores, to getting a
job in the "real" world. These individuals perform their duties with a quiet
acceptance of their fate. The guitar, no longer the entire center of the
patient's world, is still played, but is now balanced with other meaningful
life experiences and undertakings.
Patients who reach Stage 5 as described immediately above, realize that
there will always be more accomplished guitarists out there, but no longer
feel a need to compete with them. Instead, these patients who have their
Guitaritis in complete remission have obtained the wisdom that every player
embodies his or her own unique approach and talents to the instrument and
their own particular gift holds an honorable and distinct place in the
universe - worthy of a standing ovation.
Additional Columns by Peter Neri
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Additional Inspiration/Motivation Columns
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