It would be dull!


Although I don't play as many gigs as I would like I spend hours playing either the Pa4x or my S970. Today was one of those days where I was able to devote lots of time. Started with a couple of hours of yard work then by noon I was at the S970, played it until about 3, then went to the Pa4x until about 5. Taking a break now but in the next 2o minutes or so I'll head over to the Clavinova and work on some piano solo stuff. By 10 PM I'll have had enough for one day.


I enjoy to the playing to the max, it always have given me a great sense of satisfaction.

Played my first gig in college in the 60’s. Now, long retired, I average 2 to 3 gigs a week on either Yamaha arranger or guitar, with vocals. This is my hobby and therapy, I suppose. When not gigging, I’m recording musician buddies, who are over constantly to record CDs for family and friends. I enjoy that as much as live gigging. I’m finding that arrangers work well with multitrack recording.

Music has been with me for the greater of my life. It started in grammar school with a with a humazoo, drums, and then guitar.

Excuse for preaching but I have lived a long life and sharing my music experiences is one of my joys.

It is OK to take time off from playing. If there is a true love for music you will come back stronger than before.
Do you love the performance or do you love music? If it is both, which is stronger.

With wisdom from I am not sure I rarely played from Tuesday to Thursday. Fridays yes – Saturdays always – Sunday if it was important. I love music and I knew I put so much into performing there was not enough of me to play a full week. I always looked forward the playing Fridays – I was brand new again.

In the late 60’s I turned to selling securities. They gave me a disk and a phone. For two years I made more money than ever. As the market dropped toward the end of the 60’s I realized that I had a bunch of money but I was no longer enjoying my life. I went back to my music – people – parties—weddings—I doubled my income playing the same amount jobs I was playing. I played and sang better because something inside me was happy again.

I played my guitar for two hours tonight. No single not lead, or strumming; just melody in chords. I was pleased with myself –then I thought; I must thank my first wife and my present wife; because I ran from them to my guitar and became an accomplished guitarist.

My wife does not go on Synthzone so I am safe, (smile)
John C.

I'm telling, John

Hi Deane:

I spend a large part of each day writing songs and recording them.

Since childhood I have enjoyed a wide variety of music and never had much serious training. During my working career, Radio was the primary source for hearing what was new and exciting, mostly in the Pop and Country genres.

As a retiree, I can now spend time doing what I enjoy. Golf is no longer and option due to back pain but Chess and Music are still available and I do my best to make the most of them... provided they do not interfere with my family enjoyment and responsibilities. Writing songs has been reduced to a hobby even though I am a Music Publisher with ASCAP and have a catalog of more than 1000 original songs, not including children's tunes and compositions. It is nearly impossible for a songwriter to achieve monetary success in today's business for a variety of reasons. (Oversaturation being the main culprit.)

I am thankful that I don't have to perform or tour... or play a venue several nights a week like most of you. My music is done in a quiet little studio where my Yamaha 910 is connected to a Digital Recorder and a Computer. You guys have my complete respect and admiration. Just wanted you to know that the Arranger (no matter what make or model) is the best kept secret among songwriters and allows us to compete (to a small degree) with big box studios and labels without all the big money and hoopla that goes along with that side of the biz.

Best of luck to all of you. I know Don Mason's many followers are missing his performances as they enjoy their "date nights" in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. He could be a Recording Star with that voice he uses so well. Thank you, Don... for all your support and advice during my brief string of creativity.

Dave Rice
Bowstring Music Publishing (ASCAP)

Why thank YOU Dave! I appreciate your kind comments.

Music is in me... wouldn't see my life without music in it.

My Mom and Dad always encouraged it! Started out playing around on a Baldwin organ (1977-ish) with the white, yellow, and black buttons for chords and their play by number method. My Dad isn't a musician but he could play "Yes, Sir, That's My Baby" and "When The Saints Go Marching In." I was 4 years old and I was fascinated by it.

Then singing in church... piano lessons on a free piano... trumpet lessons... marching band... chorus festivals... electronic music ensemble in high school... first solo gig in 1991 with my Korg M1... the list goes on like the rest of you!

I met my wife in 1996 because of music... I sang "The Lord's Prayer" and recorded 2 songs for our wedding in 2001. I sing to my son, Jack, everyday! He's 4 and he is matching pitch extremely well.

Music is in me... the way it comes out may be different, but I couldn't imagine my life without it!

Ironically, my first wife divorced me because of my music, but my currant wife married me partly because of it. Maybe I improved, or perhaps because I don't go to after hours joints anymore.

Well here I am on a family vacation in San Francisco at a very picturesque spot overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, and I'm checking into syhthzone. That's says a lot right there.

Although I do a fraction of the amount of gigs many members here do, I do stay active with music and music is always on my mind. I play my piano everyday, I'm and I'm always looking for a musical challenge. I try to walk a few miles everyday very early in the morning. During my walks I do vocal warm ups and sometimes pull out my chromatic harmonica ( which I carry wherever I go)
I'm traveling with a Córdoba Mini Guitar too.

If everything works as planned I'll retire from being a full time public school teacher when 54. I hope I'll have at least 20 years to give music my full attention.
Hopefully I'll be able to gig more and volunteer teach and perform in under served communties. So I still have some big dreams I hope to achieve.

Since I grew up playing music since I was 12, and consider myself a natural musician, I always took it for granted......it was an everyday part of my daily life.

Nowadays, I thank the Lord every day that I can play music. You might not understand this, but here goes.

Society today, in general, consists of lifeless souls, void of emotion and intimacy, empathy, caring, etc. You can see all around you the number of self-obsessed people who just go through the motions of life, "doing" but not "feeling."

I'm a very "emotional" person myself. Another way of saying I need to express my emotions which is hard to do with even friends nowadays, since technology took over our lives.

So I sit at the piano and squeeze out and explore every feeling I have in me that needs to come out. It comes out in the music and I feel emotionally purged at the end of a playing session. That aspect of playing is something I've really come to appreciate these last few years. It certainly beats "bottling" things up until one day you implode!