I played at a classical "youth concert" in Wellesley, Massachusetts (USA) in 1970. At twelve years old I was the youngest performer, the only classical guitarist (the other performers played piano or orchestral instruments), and the only performer to play an original work. Over the next few years I played many local church services and hired myself out to play background music for private parties; light classical, bossa nova, arrangements of pop tunes, etc. Still amazes me how young I was.

One of the most memorable gigs from these early-teens performances was when I spent a couple of weeks playing in the window of the local music store at Christmas time. The store had extended evening hours for the Christmas season, and I played classical guitar arrangements of Christmas tunes, which were broadcast through PA speakers out on the street. I was thirteen or fourteen years old, wearing a jacket and tie, and people assumed I was a mannequin until they got up close and saw my fingers moving. Had a lot of fun watching their reactions (and then ignoring their attempts to distract me).