Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
I guess I'm either just lucky, or brain damaged.


What I take from you and our many discussions over past years is that you are the embodiment of the concept known as "levels of listening", where the more you know, the more you know to listen for. I have been to concerts over the years that were notably underwhelming, yet the person who went with me thought it was the best thing ever. It really depends on what you know to listen for. People can hear Tower Of power and only hear the solos. I hear the arranging under the verses, and as great as Lenny Pickett and Emilio Castillo are, Steve Kupka is the guy that does the arranging, and he's "da man" in my ears. And they must be doing it right, because it has now been 49 years!

Appreciation of any art form has the same properties. I could go to an art museum with someone who paints and has studied painting and we would be in 2 different buildings. One might see Monet and be taken by the beauty of the softness of his lines, and another might say "Why is it all so out of focus?" (Because it's NOT a photograph!!!)

I also get badly misunderstood as arrogant, as if I think my music degree makes me think I am better than those who don't have one. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am blessed and grateful that I had the opportunity to attend college on Uncle Sam's dime (in exchange for 3 years of my life). It wasn't until I started college at 22 that I learned how much I didn't know. College does not build walls. It opens doors. I learned how to learn in college. When I went back the second time to get a degree in computer studies, I went in (at 41) knowing the "college rules" and easily got that Associate Degree that I needed to even get interviews as I moved away from music and into IT. And even in that field I saw "levels of listening". I was in a lab with people who didn't even know how to format floppies, and it took restraint to remind myself that these people were there to learn what they didn't know. I was made lab assistant and did as much teaching as studying in those lab sessions.

But back to music, it really is a personal thing and we all need to be happy. Maybe some day I will miss playing every weekend, yet as I say that my mind flashes to an image of me loading 4 keyboards, 2 stands, an amp and amp stand, a bag of cables, a sax, a sax stand, the bag with the wireless sax mic and in-ear monitors.... into the venue, setting it all up, tearing it all down, loading it back into the car.... and then I don't miss it so much.

I am using the new 1040XTRAEZ form this year. It has just 2 lines.

1. How much did you make in 2023?
2. Send it to us.