"Bride Judy" and I just had a large gathering a couple of weeks ago. We probably had 30 musicans here. As friends, some of us go back 45 years together. This means that we all know, love and respect each other and each others' music. And, as host, I had little to do to guide the hoot, other than keep the pot bellied stove burning.

I'd like to mention another aspect that I don't think has been mentioned yet: performers and non-performers. At our gathering, we had a small number of friends that were non-performers, listeners.

The day after our hoot, I received a call from one of the listeners. He asked if next hoot, he could bring several of his friends to listen. I thought about it and turned him down. I said "No" because adding a number of listeners to a hoot changes the complexion of the gathering. Most of our music friends are professional performers who appear on stage several times a week. Adding more listeners builds an "audience", and it could start to feel like just another night at "work."

Does anyone have an opinion on this? CHEERS, Bob