Greg, you've gotten some wonderful replies. Here's my two pennies' worth. Someone mentioned that none of us can tell you why it's worth it. The answer will have to come from within your own heart and mind. True enough. I'll only talk about my own experience. You've got the blues at Christmas time. Welcome to the club. It's a big one. Many people find this to be a sad and difficult time of year, as you must know. I'm one of them. Two things keep me going. First, this is the season for making music, and I've made a lot of it. One concert among many was a Messiah sing-in/play-in: http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=260145 (Horns don't play every number. Shot the pics during the tacets.) Another was a benefit concert for a local food bank. One for me, one for others. Both feed the soul. (The second thing that keeps me going, during the holidays, is the realization that they'll soon be over.) Second penny's worth. Luis suggested that you take some time off. Something to think about. Last spring, I began to notice that I felt worse after playing my regular Tuesday evening band rehearsals than I did before I unpacked my instrument. I don't make music for a living. I'm a semi-pro musician. More semi than pro. Making music just wasn't fun any more (for a variety of reasons). This summer, I took a couple months off. Didn't pick up my horn. Didn't take it out of the case. Found out that I missed it, a lot. Found out that I can't not play and still be happy. But I came back to playing with a different attitude. I'm more selective about when, where, what, and with whom I play. I'm playing less, and when I play I'm having much more fun than I was six months ago. Putting the cameras away for a while might clarify things. YMMV, John ===== J. Mason, Charlottesville, Virginia New Pics, Greg Howard Band at Starr Hill Music Hall: http://www.greghoward.com/sights/stills/starrhill/ __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
