Why I Play Jazz

I think that often discussions of music are leapt into without really considering what the larger goal is. I think it is very important that we stay in touch with why we play music. All too often I listen to or read (and sometimes participate in!) discussions of right and wrong or good, better and best in music that lose sight of and in many cases detract from why we chose to be musicians in the first place. Here's my two cents. I'd like to hear yours.
I am a jazz musician because of all that it offers me and because of what I can offer others. I love that it is a craft which requires two separate characteristics. First it requires unbelievably precise and diligent preparation and then, in performance, requires spontaneity and an ability to let go completely. I love to share the music with people. I like to participate in something that stretches listeners minds and contributes to thoughtfulness in the world. I like to be a role model for music students who want to do what I do, but also for the guy who has a day job and likes to fantasize about the life of a jazz musician on the road. Certainly the fantasy is better than the grind that this life can be, but sometimes it really is a dream. Sometimes fans hang on your every note and they buy 15 CDs on a break and want you to sign them and buy you drinks and the money you make at the door is three times what you would have asked for if there was a guarantee, or sometimes it's dead and there's no money, but one kid tells you that he can't wait to get up tomorrow and practice and the rest of it doesn't matter.

All in all I'm very grateful for the life I've been lead to and hope that I can make people happy doing it.