Well I read Mike's message at work today and wanted to chime in with something, 
but never had a chance to sit down and put together any thoughts, but kids are 
in bed and I've got a couple of minutes so here goes...

Mike, the fact that you still have that sort of drive to continually push your 
self is awesome.  With that kind of drive, having accomplished what you've 
already accomplished, it is easy to see why you are considered by many (any 
with good taste) one of the premier mandolin players today/ever.  As far as the 
getting lucky thing, well I buy that...once, perhaps you did get one lucky 
break somewhere along the line but you capitalized on it and did from there 
built a reputation for yourself.  As far as the "slop" you play, well I credit 
the Stomp (thanks to you too David) album to being the reason I became a 
mandolin player over a guitar player (not that the mandolin or music community 
is any better off for it, but I am).  When Stomp was released I had just 
started playing the mandolin because I found a band of guys who were playing 
some unconventional "roots" music and they wanted a mando picker and I had 
access to one.  I didn't particularly care
 for the mandolin all that much, based on what I had listened to up to that 
point.  Then I bought the Stomp album based on the fact that you were 
Hartford's mandolin picker and my eyes were opened to what a mandolin could do, 
and I've been working on getting to where I can play at least 1/10 as good as 
the "slop" you put down on that album.  So if you feel that you have untapped 
potential than man that is awesome, I admire that, but don't discount what 
you've done up until now...

Trey




________________________________
From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wed, January 20, 2010 12:58:58 PM
Subject: Re: Starting from scratch....sort of.

The Kenny G of mandolin players - that's hysterical.  

Look Tater, you've got something special going on and anyone who doesn't 
recognize it IS an uneducated ne'r-do-well.

Nothing wrong with re-evaluating, level setting, and checking your progress now 
and again.

As I see it, there are only a handful of mandolin players out there who appear 
to make a decent living at it and it
appears to me that you're one of 'em.  That didn't happen by accident - you 
worked for it and earned it.

Some pretty philosophical responses to your note but I'll go with the immortal 
words of Billy Joel (or was it Kenny G):

Don't go changing, to try and please -- anyone but yourself! 

John Gay
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