In 1989, I graduated high school.  It was at the height of the heavy metal music scene, and I wanted desperately to be in the music business.  The problem was I lived in the midwest and lacked experience.  I was smart enough to know that even though Icould play the guitar half way decent, I would need some other way in.  I decided, at that point, to attend the Guitar Institue of Technology in Colorado (GIT).  My plan was to learn to be a better guitar player, but essentially become a certified guitar technician.  These are the guys back stage who set up and take care of the musician's equipment. 

I filled out an application, paid my $100 application fee, and received an acceptance letter a few weeks later.

Now my middle class parents had promised to pay for my education, but their understanding of "education" and my understanding where two different things.  They had in mind a Bachelor's degree at a state school, I thought it meant anything I wanted to do.  If memory serves, the GIT certification was 18 months and cost upwards of $18k.  That may not sound like much now, but in the late 1980's, that was a lot.  My parent's did not have that kind of money.  They had planned on forking out around $4k or $5k per year for the state school and paying as I went.  In addition to that, my parent's, in their wisdom, knew that all that glitters is not gold, and the $18k would have probably ended up being an expensive pipe dream lesson.  Besides, they did not want me hanging out with metal heads and groupies.

So I had a decision to make.  Should I borrow the money, follow my dream and attend GIT?  Or should I go to state school and start taking classed until I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Thankfully I chose the latter (although I still am not 100% sure what I want to be when I grow up).  It wasn't long after 1990 that the entire heavy metal music scene disapated with the advent of alternative rock.  If I had attended, I would have probably ended up as a fry cook during the day, and playing Motley Crue songs to drunks in smokey bars at night.

Bob S.