First off, I hope everyone out there had a happy and safe holiday season and I want to wish everyone a safe and prosperous 2007. I, for one, am ready to start off the year with a bang, and I hope everyone's New Year leads to bigger and better things. I know for most pickers things slow down a little during the winter months, and we in the Urban Cowboy Band were no exception. It's unfortunate sometimes having a little smaller in-flow of cash during the holidays, but hopefully a little creative budgeting and maybe a day job for you lucky people out there got you through without too much strain on the pocketbook.

I'm having a grand time trying to find all those gas and food receipts from the past few months out there, so I can take them to the tax man. For those of you that play music to make up a significant portion of your total income, you know the importance of making every penny count. I try to keep my receipts collated by month, and make two piles at first, one pile is fuel, the other is everything else, including gear purchases, meals, hotel rooms, and anything else I buy when out on the road. If you're not the kind of person that likes keeping each and every receipt, make sure you're taking a per diem for the days you were traveling. I've never used this method before, so please consult a professional before taking my word as anything resembling legal advice. I just had to get that disclaimer in there. I know nothing at all about the tax code, and I just dump a bunch of numbers on my CPA and let him figure out how much I owe. Most country bass players can't count past five anyway, right? Follow the IRS forms for meals and incidental expense, and if you're paying for your hotel rooms, you can count that in as a per diem cost as well. You can find the information and download it from the IRS website. You can find that at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1542.pdf.

Alright now. That's enough of that nerdy stuff. Let's talk about music for a while. In the past, I've mentioned that I went to school at South Plains College in their Commercial Music Program. I can't say enough about this and other music programs across the nation. From Berklee to Belmont, from the University of North Texas to South Plains College, there are many excellent schools where anyone can go to further their knowledge in music theory and styles. Having tried previous careers and different majors in college, I finally found my niche in music. It had always been a fixture in my younger years. I found that one could make a career of it, if that person was willing to make certain sacrifices. Looking back on myself as a commercial musician, before having a formal education and now after, I can say with full certainty that I would not be where I am today in my music career without the knowledge and experience I gained at South Plains College. The variety of genres taught there also helped me personally branch out and find other styles to learn.

I never would have thought I'd play bluegrass music, but I learned how, and I've made some good money playing it. I once thought jazz was unattainable for a young bass player, but with the help of the faculty, I started playing in a school ensemble, and it's gotten me some gigs. I'm by no means a great jazz bassist, but like I've said in the past, sometimes being able to get along and get through the material is all you need to get that second, third, or full-time call for a gig. In conclusion, a formal music education, like what I received at South Plains College, is like rocket fuel for anyone interested in furthering a career as a professional musician. Having a good foundation in music theory and ear training is VITAL to being a successful commercial musician. Understanding the language of music is much more important thank what sort of gear you have, which strings you just ordered, and whether you know who Geddy Lee is and even what gear he's playing. The important thing is, everyone needs proficient, educated musicians in their band, and the bass player shouldn't be just a warm body filling a spot on the stage. People need good bass players. It just makes the whole world easier on all of us, especially the other bass players. And remember, picking is good for the soul. It doesn't matter if you're home with Band in a Box or on a stage in front of thousands, whether you're practicing scales or working up some wild solo. Did any of your New Years' Resolutions include "Practice More?"