Personal Note: Stogie Band and the Joy of Music

This past Saturday my band played for a family party to celebrate the 84th birthday of my mother-in-law.  My wife's family is large and none of them have ever heard me play bass before; most didn't even know I played at all.  So it was nice to play for them and surprise them with a side of myself that was largely unknown to the family.

We played well and the music was much appreciated.  One sister-in-law told me she was "very impressed."  A brother-in-law asked me "When did you start playing bass?"  Actually, I started many years ago, but hung up my bass to finish college and establish a career.  I finally returned to this long neglected passion in January of this year, when I answered an ad on Craig's List.

In this terrible time of economic dysfunction, music is the main positive activity in my life.  It's good to know that I am making progress, in this one endeavor at least, while I watch my economic life otherwise fall apart.

We are scheduled to play again on July 4th in Menlo Park.