[buddy lee]

I believe you, but also find the timing ironic considering your out of the mouthpiece game now.

 

[buddy lee]

I admit to probably being one of those not great players who has bought/sold a lot of pieces over the past 10 years. I also admit that essentially they are just different shades of grey on the spectrum of sound, HOWEVER, one thing that is almost indisputable is the fact that while they can all sound very similar NONE of the pieces I've played over the years have FELT the same to me as the player. I think there's a lot to be said for finding the piece that feels like home in that regard, and it can take some searching.

 

[buddy lee]

Here's the condensed (original post) version from last year:

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?341810-So-I-emailed-Bob-Mintzer&highlight=phil+barone

Phil said it nicer this time around, so maybe it won't blow up as much as it did then.

So maybe he likes to pop in once a year and tell us all how dumb we are lol I dunno. It's still funny coming from a guy who made a living off of idiots like us for 30+ years.

 

[buddy lee]

Where I think he's off-base though is where he says "the hobby mentality is a kind of apathy or depression or brain fog"--when you're pulling 10-hour work days and have other life commitments, you can't always fully devote yourself to the music.

Yeah. COULD I quit my job, practice 8 hours a day and get good enough to "play music full time", yeah I honestly think I could. Do I want to take a 75% pay cut in order to do it? Hell no.

I know some pros here locally, and they HUSTLE so hard to make a living. People with good attitudes and a mountain of talent worried about how they're going to pay the bills that month. And listen, I'm sure there are plenty of pros who do just fine, but for the majority I'd imagine it's not an easy life financially.

So I have a day job and I play on weekends and rehearse on weeknights and practice on my own when I can. It's rewarding AF. If that makes me a loser or depressed or whatever, then so be it.

Phil is way, way off-base here. If I didn't know better, and maybe I don't, I'd say he's projecting a lot of his own insecurities into these posts.