HiYa Brother Kev!

Sorry to be Late to The Thread...&..I'm looking forwards to reading Everyone Else's Post when I get some time.

I grew up in a Musical Family, yet I was the kid who never did the Trumpet Lessons Practice & got Kicked-Out after 4 weeks, back in Grade School. Never bothered me UNTIL I hit Age 35 & penned my first Song. Bothered me a LOT when I was 40-50 HOPING to be The Next Big Thing, too. BUT by-then, I knew my way around a Studio..I'd buy Pretzels & Beer, & had Several Bands volunteering to do the Background Stuff. & then, after a lotta Near Misses with Cuts/Contracts/& all the Usual Hoopla, I took a Decade Off..too.

So, come 1999, I got back into the Lyrics Side of things...Again.
Spent 3 years co-ing with Keyboardist from Belinda Womack's Band, Susan Shoshanna-Braun. Co-Bought a $1600 Korg "Karma" Synth..she was mastering ProTools..& all I needed to do was Write Lyrics. DID buy 6 Guitars..3 are really Nice Ones..and a pair of Synths..& more recently, a 24-Channel Analogue Mixing Board...BUT...have yet to learn how to use any of the stuff..BECAUSE..I'm pretty BUSY "Just Penning Lyrics".

And..alas..my Day Job (Clockmaking) so-far HAS paid me far-better than My Music Habit..thus-far. (Tho Lately...the Recession and an Unsold House..or Two..make MUSIC look FAR better than what's So-Far been payin' the bills.)

I've over the years learned HOW to Sing for an Audience..and DO hear The Music behind my Lyrics. I've ALSO learned that a GOOD Musical Collaborator CAN make What I Pen sound BETTER than what I HEAR when I write it. I've also got to know Producers who can take THAT Demo to places NEITHER of us ever Dreamed-Of.

So...yeah, I really SHOULD learn an Instrument..to make things perhaps Easier...BUT..there are only SO Many HOURS In Each DAY..and..Alas..so-far Songs only eat up the Mornings in each of my days. WHEN I've successfully "Retired" from my Day Job..and Un-Loaded the Excess Real Estate..& Misc. Stuff I've accumulated over the last 60 years..I certainly expect to learn an instrument..Finally.

For me, instead of a "Weakness" though, I've ended up mastering Words DUE to my lack of mastering an Instrument. (In a pinch, I can Whistle any part I'm trying to get-across/have actually recorded a few Tracks of Whistling on more'n' a few songs.)

Ol' Elvis..who sold a Billion Records..originally performed, I believe, with a Stringless-Guitar. Not Everybody HAS to know an Instrument to make it in the Music Biz. But yeah, I'll sure agree that It HELPS!

Best Wishes, & as Tampa Chapter Chairman Al "The Pal" Alvarez says: "Keep On Strummin'"!
Big Guy-Hug,
Stan