Contrary to the title of a renowned 1973 Led Zeppelin concert film, the song rarely remains the same throughout life. For most people, triumphs and failures trade blows over the years, changing courses and outcomes along the way. District 2 Traffic Control Specialist George Maines is no exception when it comes to experiencing life's constant changes. His rediscovery of music, however, has allowed him to enrich his own story by adding a self-composed soundtrack.
“As a teen, my parents bought me a guitar, but I didn't get too serious about playing it." Maines recalled. He bought his first Stratocaster guitar in 1989, along with a lesson book, while serving with the United States Navy in Iceland.
Then, the changes kept coming. Fortunately, most were for the better.
Maines used his experience as an electrical technician in the Navy to enter into business repairing electronics in the civilian realm. From there, he went on to work in corrections for a short time, before joining PennDOT as a roadway programs technician in Potter County. In 2003, he transitioned to the position of traffic control specialist at the District 2 office. Fortunately, Maines said, these changes were resoundingly positive.
“I like working with the counties, the crews out there. The sign crews and maintenance crews. I love to get out there with them."
In tandem with his career trajectory, Maines saw his personal life flourish, as well. He settled down with his wife, Kathy, and the couple raised three sons together.
Though fulfillment was not elusive to Maines, there was one area of life that fell dormant, just waiting to be cheered back on stage for an encore.
“I got away from music. I didn't listen to any of my music collection," Maines said. “What got me interested in music again was I discovered the band Nightwish in 2012. Their songs “Nemo" and “Amaranth" were so different from music I had listened to before. It's called Symphonic Metal. Then I found Epica's music, a band like Nightwish. Listening to these two bands got me interested in music again. I had never gotten rid of my 1989 Squire Stratocaster guitar. I always thought I'd play it again someday, and that's what it took."
Maines also pulled out his old lesson book and enrolled in an online training course. He remembered, “This was in 2012, I got serious about playing. I taught myself the basic chords, took the training, and started playing covers."
While polishing his technique, focusing on classic rock, and playing cover songs in bands, Maines quickly developed a passion for writing his own music. The satisfaction he gets while creating original compositions continues to fuel his love of playing today.
“I feel a certain way and it comes out of me. It's how I end up with a new song. I think about friends and family. I think about love, happiness, sadness, and our futures," Maines explained. “Based on those thoughts, I create my own songs and put lyrics to them."
Maines used his immersion in music to navigate some of the more difficult obstacles on life's road. He shared, “I had a band mate that got cancer and died. I wrote a song about him. It's not sad; it celebrates him and his life. He was The Rock Singer.
“I wrote a song about my cousin, Bill, who died in 2019. He worked for the railroad – he drove trains. It's not a sad song either. It's my interpretation of how he must have felt driving trains down the tracks. He was seeing the towns, the nature, and the people. The song is simply about what I think he saw and felt as a train driver."
Now with a collection of six guitars, and a particular penchant for Stratocasters and Les Paul copycats, Maines enjoys tinkering on his instruments, keeping them tuned and maintained, while looking ahead to future goals.
“One day I want to record all my original songs with full instrumentation. I want to work with professional musicians and record all the instruments, including vocals."
Maines is able pursue the next goal with a confidence built by the accomplishments already under his guitar strap, as he shared, “What I have learned most about myself from this is that I can do things I never thought I could do. So, if there's something you want to do, just do it. If I can write songs, anyone can."