Bonnie said: "But how I see it is that I will grow so much more with my music if I become involved with a group of musicians the same as if I committed to a marriage. Being a single person can be as limiting as playing music on your own."

Being single myself, I hope it isn't too limiting. Actually, I think marriage can be just as limiting. Of course, both can be extremely rewarding.

Music can be very much like a marriage. I think both require balance. Both require "alone" and "together" time. Just like most things in life, too much or too little of something may not be the best thing for you. For example, I never wanted to learn theory at first -- it seemed too painful, too much like work. Now I wouldn't want to be without it. It's helped my playing a great deal. It's one small piece of the bigger puzzle.

Bonnie, speaking of theory, it may be one of the "pieces" you need to help you learn to play tunes by ear. The more you understand about music, the easier it becomes to hear it. At least it's helped me. It'll never replace playing with your heart, but it also won't take the heart out of music like many people believe. And that gets back to my original point about balance. Playing with others, and that "alone time" are equally important and allow you to grow as a musician and as a person.

Rock On! Jason.