The Best Thing About Music

One afternoon about 25 years ago I was in town for our annual Christmas Show (which is still a tradition in Steubenville....This year it will be at the Spot Bar)well, back to 25 years ago. I was having a couple of afternoon beers at a place called The Pastime Inn and got into a friendly discussion with an older gentleman who played upright bass in a country and bluegrass band. The vetern bassist said, "There's women, free booze, drugs, love of the music, hell, there's even a little money. I know what it is for me. What do you love the most about music?" The way he looked at me when he asked made the question almost magical. I really had never gave it any thought so I thought, quite deeply. Then I just started to talk, "You'll be on stage playing it tight. The band would be tight. You had a good crowd. Only on rare occassions can it possibly get better. When that happens you get a high that is so extreme it is of Shamanistic preportions, you lose all concepts of any self-identity becoming part of a larger whole. The landscape(for lack of a better word)of this area cannot be humanly described. When the song is nearing it's end you return to the here and now, tight band. Somehow tighter than usual. Yeah, I love stepping over that line from time to time." The old bass man softly said, "Good answer." I never did find out what is was for him.