Kevin's reply: Well - nice to hear from you first of all -

I can't really answer that in a paragraph or two really -

it takes a lot of commitment, determination, talent, passion, drive, good instincts, research, education, etc ... none of which have any guarantee of monetary rewards -

as a good friend of mine told me: "Music is its own reward" Remember that ...

I think going to school doesn't hurt - i went to school and studied jazz as well as lots of kinds of music - and continue to be a "student" of the language.

Making money has never been the goal for me - nor fame. But to make great art, great music - now there's a goal worth striving for.

I know this sounds pretty cliché - but there's a reason for it. Never give up on it - that is, if you have a vision of what you see, hear, and feel. Creation actually becomes more and more of a challenge as one "climbs the ladder" of success ...

there's a great book you should read (among many) - called "Letters To A Young Poet" by Rainer Maria Rilke - check that out ...

also another great book called "Confessions of a Record Producer" by Moses Avalon - a rather sobering perspective on the music business...

Stay connected with the community and people of all walks of life - they will give you the inspiration - as well as perspective - as you probably may guess, our worst dilemmas can be others' best -

Music is its own reward - that's the payback. if you're not striving for that, and looking for money, fame, or both, you're probably in the wrong business. - I say go for passion.

I also have said in the past - "there's one thing worse than failure - it's regret"

All the best to you

Peace
ks

"Sunday Rainy Afternoon In China"

Guang Zhou also known as Canton China
It's a depressing town full of hope
Hidden hope
Broken dreams self defeated in someways
Someday
One day
All just words in English
Take a drag out of this Double Happiness cigarette
The filters are so thick but you get twice the rush
You got beggars on the street and little children
Some as young as 4 years old
With dirt on their faces so they get bills
More than change
Alan's back home polishing someone's shoes
Jeremy's back home living the blues
I'm sitting here reading the news
Tony's probably wondering what I'm doing
Made a good friend last night in "Hen"
He's a great guy loves girls cool in his twill
3/4 length jacket
He's got a couple of jackets same fit
Boy these cigarettes burn quickly
Everyone here's workin' for Joe and Sal
Drivers are crazier than New York City
Everything is colder meaner slower faster
Cleaner underhanded naive and wise
All at once
Nikki I'm so sorry and I hope we can make amends
I think about Bob Moses and I really wish
Jason were here
A lot of good people in my life right now
Betsy Siggins Geoff Bartley Carl Cacho
Mike Sahagian Henry Ko
The air is so polluted you got one guy named Sam
Sam Phong's his name with a Michael Jackson
Thing over his mouth like surgery
Is about to go down
Like the rotary where motorbikes and cars
Go around
Like the sound of rain and hi heels and
Black leather shoes and old school slippers
Upon these marble floors
A piano on my right
Out of tune
Sweet perfume is a cliche
I know more and more about my people
This is where I come from and I'm only at the
Surface about to go deeper into the mainland
My Dad's hometown
Don't know wny we disagree
The lunch we had to today was special
He's so giving so right
So cool so outta sight
Probably the reason I smoke too
And why my kids'll smoke a joint one day
One day
Someday Sunday rainy afternoon in China
Hotel lobby is my refuge for now
The China Hotel has got a lot of refugees
Beautiful hookers who will love you for
50 bucks maybe less
But you gotta be careful in this city
They'll take you to their home and spank you
Then Big Lo will be next door puttin on his
Brass knuckles ready to sock your American
Green out of your stomach
Grab your wallet and you're left scrounging
For change on the sidewalk just like that
Little 4 year old boy you passed yesterday
But this time
The dirt on your face is for real my friend
The blood on your neck and fingertips
Is for real
No end no beginning
Time for Paul to get back to swimming
Time for me to get back to living
And listening and sacrificing
And caring and understanding
Keep your mouth shut
Stop being such an American
Coz you're in China my friend
They do things differently and the waiters make
30 bucks a day maybe
One day they'll make it to Hong ong like my Dad
Who is like me very luck
We've all had to squat once or twice
We've all had to pay the price
We've all had to act real nice
Suppress our anger coz it'll get you nowhere
Maybe to the next MTR stop
But that's about all
One phone call
You don't even get that in jail
You disappear for four days
You shouldn't leave a tip in this joint
Coz that's the way it is
The way it's been for several years
Nothing's changed
But Dad says a lot has changed
The buildings look different
Higher and higher more and more
More is more and less is less
This city is depressed
Obsessed with hand phones
Glued to their own little worlds
Cocoon cocoon
What happened to them air balloons
That float around the world
Even Hawaii
Even Halifax
Even Macon
Even Shanghaii
Even Georgia
Nope
You're head gets blown off for smoking dope
Breath gets fresher by gargling Scope
Don't bend over to pick up the soap
Ramblin on my mind
Imagination is funny
Sunshine where are you
Love light surround me with patience
With forgiveness with humility with sex
With truth wuth respect with culture
With openness with frailty
With indifference
Without prejudice
Deep down I know that more is really less