Yes indeed. He was a real star in high school, at one of the best high school jazz bands around. He considered music for a profession and decided it would be too hard a row to hoe. But there is no question that he could have done it had he wanted to give up some things in life. He also said that he didn't want to lose his love of music by it becoming just his line of work. Now that you have heard him, maybe you can understand why we have never stopped asking him, all these years, if he was planning yet to return to his music.

From the time he was 18 months old and just beginning to speak, Ben sang on tune. When he begged for a drum at age 4, I knew that it would not be a bad experience for the rest of us, and it wasn't. He played that drum with a careful ear, listening, and worth listening to. I set him playing the violin at five, which he did a fine job of, but he hated that instrument. We turned to piano lessons for a few years. But at 10 he took his Uncle Bob's clarinet, and we knew that this would be the instrument he would stay with. The saxophone plays the same as a clarinet I guess.

The sax is mostly scored for jazz music, and appreciating jazz was what really kept Ben interested in music. He didn't like rock 'n roll music like other kids. He tried it, and just couldn't maintain an interest. It is pretty boring stuff musically. What Ben liked to listen to was jazz. His musicality was one of the most delightful and exciting parts of Ben's childhood for us, his parents. We accompanied his bands on long field trips, and attended all his local performances. I can't wait to attend a performance of the big band he's practicing with now!