Man, that's complex. Thanks, Russ.

Ruws, that sounds like a prescription for a major heart attack! No amount of money is worth a full blown miacardial infarction, which is one of the reasons I got out of the medical field. I worked a lot of 100-hour weeks, my weight fell to 145 pounds, and I smoked like a chimney. I rarely saw my wife and family, only got to see my relatives at funerals, and didn't know the name of the family that lived 3 doors down the street. After 15 years, I walked away and never looked back. I was offered a lot of money to return, but after thinking long and hard about it, I turned it down. Life is very short, old friend - I should know. While I love the outdoors, love sailing, fishing, bicyclinbg, all of those things have since taken a back seat to my nasty lung condition that now requires me to be on oxygen. As I have said so many times in the past, take some time to smell the roses before they place those roses on the lid of your casket.

Good luck,

Gary

On the face of things, I certainly agree with Gary from a health standpoint. OOTH, with Russ obvious near genius in the juggling of a multitude of carefully orchestrated steps in bringing the project to fruition, I can imagine that any career decisions are not as simple as declining a gig.

I’m betting that questions should be;

1-How much do you love money and what will you do for it?
OR
2-How much do you love yourself?

After a number of hours of playing the music you are playing begins to have no meaning; it’s just notes without feeling. So you would not be doing it for the love of music.

Just saying, John C.

John, you're right. In my case, music has been one element, along with communication research, graphics, film production, marketing, etc. of a broad spectrum of communication related activities. This is what my graduate work is in. I worked as a VP for the world's largest electrical company. My company does communications projects (packaging, electronic communications, print, etc.), and music is an integral par of most of the work.

I like writing copy and playing music equally, for instance. This kind of music is just one critical element in creating messages appropriate for the project.

In this case, music is a secondary, although very important element of the process.

It's more acceptable to me, because I get my satisfaction from the completed project, not just from completing the score, copy, editing, etc.

If I tried to make a living playing what I wanted to, I'd starve to death. This way, I get to concentrate on the over-all project(s), which I love to do.

As a "non-entertainer", I really don't miss the constant feedback some need. What I do need is the unspoken communication between musicians of the same caliber.

We smile a lot as, together, we play ourselves out of a job (LOL)!

I laugh, but that's not far from the truth.

I could NEVER just play music. I also could NEVER not play music.

This I how I manage my life, and the result is more than enough to generate the resources to help lots of people and groups who really need it.

Sorry for the rant. And, yes, sometimes I really do miss the audience.


Russ

PS. I understand the "heart attack in progress" issue, but I LOVE tight deadlines and have been doing things like this for over 50 years, with no plans to quit anytime soon.

Russell, recording projects to me are a way of injecting more of my personality into the music...since retiring to OAS, I only need to take the projects that appeal to me, and give me an opportunity to use my style making skills, and utilize the arranging techniques I learned during my Electone teaching years.

My trusty Tyros4 is pretty much perfect for my recording needs, and my satisfaction now comes from a job well done. No audience required...and after many years of trying to please the aforementioned, I'm now going to spend the rest of my playing days amusing and pleasing myself.

If I need more input in a project, there are those I can call for both solid advice, and even more solid playing skills...again, as you say, "unspoken communication" is the key element that breathes life into the arrangement and/or recording.

I don't plan on workin' hard ever again...so there's not much likelihood of me getting a "studio tan" during this summer or the next one either....good luck with your projects, and most of all, stay healthy...sick musicians aren't usually very creative.

Ian

Russ I DO understand you and that scares me. You are not the normal run-of-the-mill kind of guy. So why do I understand you? That’s the part that scare me.

Russ when it’s easy send me a PM telling me a little about your background – I’m interested.

John C.

"Russ when it’s easy send me a PM telling me a little about your background"
Much of it is Classified. It's only released on a need-to-know basis.
The people who create Halloween costumes look in his closet for skeletons!
Russ has "nieces" in all 50 states and four foreign nations.
Somebody stop me, I'm on a roll!

Again, if you weren't so damn tall, I'd kick your wrinkled old A**! But, I have to stop laughing my wrinkled old a** off, first.

Best personal regards, always!

R.

See? No denials!