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The indiscriminate devastation of Canada's raging wildfires – BBC
Joanna Kelly is a barrister in the Kelowna law courts – this week she’s been given permission to appear in legal cases by video-link partly because she has very few formal clothes to wear. They, and most of her other possessions, went up in flames last week.
On her mobile phone, Joanna watches a grainy video of what used to be her house with Duncan Vickers – her friend and neighbour for decades. They’re now evacuees in Canada’s worst ever wildfire season.
Joanna says they had never seen anything like the inferno that tore through their Okanagan valley community, in the western province of British Columbia, destroying almost everything in its path, including their homes.
“It was blindingly bright and then it would get into a house,” says Joanna, as she describes watching the wall of fire from a vantage point on the other side of the lake. “There was a raging fire going through a skeleton-like building and it went from one to the next until there were dozens of destroyed structures.”
Her next-door neighbour Duncan, who emigrated to Canada in the 1970s, lost most of what he had built and owned – including his father’s World War Two medals. But, says Duncan, showing some of his native Yorkshire stoicism, his family is safe and everything else has to be put into perspective.
“I got my cars out, which is important,” he says. “It’s terrible, but you’ve got to be philosophical about these things.”
It’s still too dangerous and risky for Duncan, Joanna and other residents who lost their homes to return and pick up the pieces. But, from the vantage point of a boat on the lake, the devastation is clear to see.
What’s apparent is the indiscriminate nature of the wildfires. In parts of the waterfront communities, where houses back onto the forests, several homes have been completely destroyed by fire. House after house has been gutted. But then, all of a sudden, you come across buildings only yards away that have been barely touched by the blaze and are completely habitable.
Via security cameras, streamed to devices or phones in safe locations, some residents could watch and listen, helplessly in real time, as their houses burned. It’s a testament to local rescue services that no lives were lost. Jason Brolund is the local fire chief and was on the frontline with his crews in often perilous situations.
“There were times when our staff were surrounded on all sides by fire,” says the chief. “They would not say they were ‘trapped’ but there’s no question it’s been dangerous. We saw dramatic fire behaviour, with winds ripping up trees by their roots and laying them down like toothpicks.”
Most alarmingly, Chief Brolund wonders about how his relatively small department can cope with an ever-expanding fire season. Normally the team would be dealing with a relatively small number of blazes in July and August. Now, he says, they can be fighting wildfires from March to November.
He and many others with years of experience in this field are in no doubt that the increasing impact of human activity on the environment must bear much of the blame.
There have been more than 1,000 wildfires across Canada in the last week – a record number. As he toured a local evacuation centre I asked the province’s premier, David Eby, if he thought that climate change might be partly responsible for the spike in such incidents.
“Without a doubt,” said Mr Eby. “The ferocity of the fires and the extent of the burning, not just here in British Columbia, are clearly linked to human-caused climate change. We’re in the fourth year of drought here and that’s making the fires so much worse.”
The biggest fires may have been tamed, but there is still a significant threat as new seats of fire start up at various places in the tinder-dry forest. I watched as a small team of helicopters swooped over a local lake, scooping up water in huge buckets to try and douse a big fire on the other side of the valley that was clearly of concern to the authorities.
The helicopters flew and dropped water virtually from dawn till dusk and were back again the next day.
This crisis has undoubtedly strengthened the bond between the fire crews and a grateful public, who gather at fire houses in Kelowna to cheer home the firemen and firewomen after another exhausting day in the forest.
But most people here are under no illusion that the number and frequency of wildfires will become more common in the future.
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Beginning a guitar lesson will likely start off by asking about their goals and what they would like to learn, before teaching basic chords and the universal strumming pattern.
Understanding that mastering any instrument takes time is crucial, but consistent practice will yield tangible results within weeks or two.
- Know the Instrument
As you embark on your guitar journey, it is crucial that you establish the essential foundational knowledge. This includes becoming acquainted with your instrument and how it operates; having this understanding will allow for improved playing performance and lessen frustration.
Study the names and placement of strings on the fretboard, as well as chords; chords are groups of notes you strum together to produce harmony; more chords you know means more songs you can play! Open chords such as Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd or Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival are easy-to-play examples of open chords that use open strings with fretted ones on the first three frets; these chords may help get you started playing more advanced songs!
Fretting and unfretting each chord to become familiar with its shape will help build strength and confidence in your fingers, making chord playing more natural and intuitive.
- Know the Basics
Once you arrive for your first lesson, your instructor will ask for some information about yourself to gain a sense of what goals and learning styles you wish to accomplish through guitar lessons.
At first, you’ll learn to hold and number each string on the guitar; picking individual strings while developing an understanding of how much pressure must be applied in order to play each note is also taught during these early lessons.
Soon you will start strumming along to songs and developing an understanding of rhythm. While this process can seem cumbersome and time-consuming, keep in mind that professional guitarists spend hours each day working on developing their rhythm skills! Once you find your groove with playing chords you will soon be on your way to creating music that uplifts and motivates! Although this might take a while it will ultimately pay off!
- Set Goals
Once you’ve built rapport with your instructor, it is crucial that you discuss what your goals for guitar are. This will enable them to tailor a practice routine just for you that will help realize your musical ambitions.
Beginner students of guitar can sometimes have unrealistic expectations that can undermine their motivation to practice guitar. Expectations such as effortlessly smooth chord changes or effortless strumming can become discouraging when they don’t come immediately.
Your first objective should be getting your fretting hand fingers to form simple chords together with ease, taking time and practice. Your fingertips may hurt until calluses form; don’t be discouraged though as without hard work there will never be success in anything!
Setting specific guitar goals will enable you to monitor your progress and achievements more easily. A good goal can be as straightforward as “Improvise a slow blues song using Eric Clapton’s style within 3 months”. Tying these goals to rewards and discussing them with your instructor will keep you accountable and help ensure success.
- Practice
No matter whether it’s scales, chord progressions or songs – knowing your goals and practicing to reach them is key to reaching them. Achieve success requires having a clear image of what success looks like (such as being able to improvise over a slow blues in Eric Clapton’s style within three months) as well as tracking progress towards that goal.
To ensure you meet your goals, it’s essential to create a detailed plan and set aside specific times each week that you can dedicate to practicing. Discuss your objectives with your instructor to establish what a realistic timeline might look like for achieving musical aspirations.
Take steps outside your comfort zone during practice sessions to keep motivated and expand your guitar abilities in novel ways. Try playing songs in different keys than usual or adding some advanced chords to your repertoire. This may keep your practice sessions interesting and help to keep you moving forward!
Begin your musical journey with guitar lessons and discover the joy of playing your favorite songs on this versatile instrument. With expert instruction, you’ll learn the skills you need to play your favorite pieces and express yourself creatively through music. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned musician, guitar lessons can help you take your playing to the next level.
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