What are your biggest challenges?

Versatility, having enough in the bag to assure gainful employment over my long-gone working career. Beginning my work at 16 playing in nightclubs in Kansas City as a house band playing trumpet and Hammond organ at that age I was confident my musical star would rise. After bouncing around and getting lucky enough to play with world-class players in California and throughout the country I learned quickly enough, that my star was stuck and not rising and likely wasn’t going much higher. While in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 60s and early 70 I was trying to keep up with Las Vegas house band players with degrees from Julliard. Trying to keep up with graduates of the Berklee School and former studio writers and knew then and there, hmm, I was lacking not only in education but talent. Uncle Sam gave me a ride as an army musician and when I got out the business had changed dramatically. So what to do? The G.I. Bill was intact, after attending a semester of university I relocated to Seattle and it was the best move I could have ever made. I attended vocational classes for years on and off and maintained certifications in different crafts. I worked in unions my entire life, Boilermakers, Ironworkers, Operating Engineers, Millwrights, and Pilebucks. I was able to work as consistently as I wanted to with an attitude. If I didn’t particularly care for what or where I was the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. It kept me from being dependent on one employer. Eventually, I had my own company for a few years and I was able to enjoy retirement at the ripe old age of 58. Since then I’ve visited and lived in various countries and come and go as I please. I’ve spent years going through Europe Asia and South America and look forward to my next adventure.