Excitement & frustration in equal measure

I feel a major kvetch coming on but I know I should stop myself immediately, because moaning is not going to do any good. I'm frustrated because I am attempting to make a logo for my design class. The frustration stems from not being able to navigate the CS4 terrain with agility or dexterity, in other words, I am skiing down a black diamond with skis crossed in a bizarre triangular shape (not good). I have a habit of trying to run when i have barely finished crawling. Long story short, I haven't learned the basics of Illustrator and I am frustrated (but I think I've made this point).

So, the idea is fleshed out in my head. My High Street retail brand is called CORE. One definition of core is: central part of different character from what surrounds it. It is also...'the horny capsule containing seeds' from which new things grow.

Core is a MP3 music shop, but since it is virtually selling air, it aims to become an experience in music.

Core will fuse the best of old school record shops with digital ease, both which have at its nexus the social aspect of music (sharing, from expertise to information). This brand concept will reinvent or refresh the definition of a music store.

Core = shop + talk + stage = musical journey

Core brings it back to the essentials of music by having:

Music experts as its staff, so you get a personalized, up-to-date specialized and even esoteric advice and recommendations
Live music jams: concerts, shows, sessions = experience (and of course the artist's recommended playlist on sale)
Music curators: celebrities and special guests compile their playlists and chose artist of the month (there will be in-store displays that include the person's profile and description of musical tastes and explanation of their choice)
The spins: DJs would spin during lunch and after work on certain days of the month
Band auditions would be held @ Core in association with MySpace
Talking Tunes: events that feature different panelists to discuss various issues associated with music (music journalist night, influence of music on art and vice-versa, etc.)
Fashion shows where music and catwalks entwine
Video pre-release parties
Core lounge evenings
Music tutorials: from learning an instrument to new technology

Core is more than an ordinary store, it is a space where music can be experienced in all its forms, and a place that connects the visceral, tangible, real, tactile and experiential with the digital music realm. It will also exist online and will give Amazon and Apple a run for their money, since it will offer MP3s, podcasts and the like, but also connect people to in-store events (ticket sales), specialized playlists, interviews with musicians, ezine, and more.

So now I just have to create the logo...(as you can see the form that comes easiest to me is the written word. But I want to learn the basics so imagery and design can work with words to convey meaning and expression). I think I'll hit the drawing board (literally).