Thirty years ago in Chicago there was a place on Belmont Avenue called the Nashville Skyline Lounge. It was a medium rough sort of place—someone did start shooting while I was in there one night—with a three-piece country band that held forth most nights. A lot of the musicians would stop in there after their regular gigs just to hear this band. The guitarist was truly wonderful and would play absoutely anything you asked him to play. If he didn't know the song you requested he'd pull the score out of a large case he carried and sight read it for you. He had every popular style down and played perfectly and effortlessly and with great innovation.

It turned out the saloon gig was only to support his daytime activity which was the formal study of classical guitar. There was absoutely nothing about his country band performance to hint that he was anything but a good ol' boy who lived and breathed country music. I never got to hear one of his classical recitals but I've always thought it would have been impressive.

I'm with Don and the others who believe there is no amount of learning that is going to hurt your playing. You may not choose to use everything you've learned in every performance you do but the training and theory can only help.

      - Mark