Young Guitarist Performs With His Hero

Usman Riaz

Usman Riaz is a 21-year old kid who has developed a remarkable mastery of the percussive-style of guitar playing.

He learned to play guitar by watching YouTube videos of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, and as his talent grew, his video watching expanded to include clips of innovative guitarist Preston Reed.

In the video below Usman and his guitar hero Reed each perform impressive solos using the unique two-handed finger-picking style pioneered by Reed. The two then perform a practiced number together, and they close with a short interview and an unbelievable unrehearsed duet. If you're not up for the entire 16-minute video, at least watch the last 3-4 minutes beginning at the 11:25 mark.

Usman's virtuosity at the age of 21 and the young man's humble and slightly awestruck reaction to performing on stage with his hero are two wonderful things about this video, but there is another reason to watch.

Whether it's the dexterity and focus of a guitar virtuoso, the power and grace of an Olympic gymnast, or the thoughtfully selected words of a favorite writer - excellence in any form is beautiful and inspiring.

(Hat tip to my friend Kyle for sharing this amazing video with me!)

A Musician's Simple Act of Kindness

Sometimes I post things on my blog because they're interesting or cool, and I hope they'll increase traffic to the site. That's not the case today. I'm posting this video because it feels good to share something this fundamentally beautiful.

Jacob, an eight year-old blind autistic boy, "feels the music" of a sidewalk musician with an acoustic guitar. Somehow, their simple interaction becomes a moving act of human kindness and generosity.

You can view a larger version of the video by clicking the title bar at the top of the video, and you can learn more about Tyler Gregory, the guitar man, by visiting his website here.

(Hat tip to my friend Adam Sheridan for finding this video.)