‘Guitar Hero’: Gateway to Music 

Music is very important to me and has been since I was a kid. My first musical memory is hearing “Billie Jean” for the first time when I was 5. I’ve been a Michael Jackson fan ever since. So, when I got in on Guitar Hero (admittedly, a little late), I was hooked. 

Guitar Hero III was my first foray into the franchise, and though I didn’t learn how to play guitar after playing, it gave me a great appreciation for the instrument. And just as important, it gave me an appreciation for songs I may not have listened to on my own at the time.

BROADEN THE HORIZON

I’ll admit, the first thing I did when I fired up Guitar Hero III was start everything on easy mode. This wasn’t a game where I brute-force my way into learning it, and I knew it. Learning how to move my fingers with the music took some time, but I was truly enjoying figuring out a new way to play a game.

But once I got comfortable, I started bouncing around to different songs. And so many stuck with me: “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “Through the Fire and Flames,” “Mississippi Queen,” and “Bulls on Parade.” But there are two songs in particular that live in my head forever.

Weezer’s “My Name Is Jonas” and “Cliffs of Dover” by Eric Johnson. Both of these songs hit me in the chest for different reasons. “Jonas” because I loved the melody in the lyrics. It made me go listen to the album it came from, and I ended up loving it. “Cliffs of Dover” is just a flat-out incredible piece of guitar playing.

MUSIC OF MY MIND

Bonus points if you get that reference. All of those songs, I likely wouldn’t have gone out of my way to listen to. Because at the time, that just wasn’t what I thought was my thing. Guitar Hero III showed me that I liked some songs way more than I believed I did. 

Every song on that game is on my phone, and I’ll listen to them every now and then when I feel like remembering my time with the game. But more than anything, it’s made me far more aware of other artists. Everything in my phone now is a hodgepodge of genres and styles. 

We need more Guitar Hero games or Rock Band. They’re more than rhythm games. They’re music education games, too. Be willing to listen to more than what you think your pocket is, you’d be surprised at what you end up enjoying. And I learned that lesson, of all places, from a video game.