As I recuperate from double hernia surgery I have been chilling to some music. Yesterday it was Muddy Waters’ Hoochie Coochie Man and Alice in Chains’ Unplugged. One might not normally connect these two, but it’s instructive to hear musicians of all stripes truly listen to each other. No wankery, no pretense, just intense, emotional playing. It’s that sort of thing that can really draw a listener in. Music can be many things: busy, stimulating energizing, relaxing, contemplative, empowering, but if there is no true awareness – whether its a solo artist like myself, or an ensemble – then it holds no real meaning. I am working to create this quality in my own music, whether performing or writing. Because that is the end in itself, that is what determines success in art.