Jackie Burgeles has been a student and friend for over 14 years. I met her at the Milpitas Senior Center in a beginning guitar class (A class that still exists and performs as the Milpitas Silver Strings). Jackie soon began to take private lessons with me and showed a strong passion for the guitar and a very disciplined approach to practicing.

Jackie is the kind of student every teacher likes to teach. Yet Jackie is even more inspiring. Not only did Jackie begin taking lessons as a senior citizen, but she is totally blind.

Jackie tape records each lesson as I go through each piece of music; measure by measure as I play and call out the notes. She then memorizes everything and practices it with the tape until the song is mastered. Jackie is particularly fond of Classical, Flamenco and Jazz guitar stylings, which are some of the most difficult types of guitar music to play. Jackie has performed in solo, duo and trio settings and regularly performs at Senior Community Residences and hospitals with the all-senior guitar band, Milpitas Silver Strings.

To this day I am still amazed at what she has accomplished and how she continues to grow and stretch her music ability by her love of music and sheer desire to master each piece of music. She is one of the nicest ladies you could ever meet as well as one of the best dressed people I know. She has taught me that one can succeed at and overcome almost anything by discipline and refusing to quit.