Much ado about nothing, or is it everything?

Recent times have been hard on some truly talented individuals.

Britney Spears' meltdown - for once, I think some folks should try to put themselves in her shoes for just a minute.
Pop quiz:
Did you not have a "childhood?"
Have you had cameras in your face (almost every waking moment) for the vast majority of your life?
Do major tabloid rags have 5- and six-figure bounties out for shots of you doing something unexpected?
Are you often surrounded by people who are typically molding your finances, life, schedule, and whereabouts to fit their own interests (rather than yours)?
If you can answer "no" to any of the above, you don't know what Britney (or for that matter, a great many bright stars) is going through. Give it a rest.


Read this very slowly:
If Roger Waters and David Gilmour can get on the same stage for a few minutes and play a tune, Eddie Van Halen and the rest of the Van Halen alumni can go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame awards.


I don't know what it is like to play as well as Yngwie Malmsteen - and I'm sure I don't have enough talent to ever play 1000th as well... but be that as it may... It's interesting that John and Jane Q. Public don't know of his work or his sound. There's a reason for it, methinks. Mr. Malmsteen should stop worrying about being compared to other guitar virtuosos.
Yngwie: teach kids (and novices of any age) technique, heart, and passion. Pass on your knowledge to others: make it about the student, not the teacher - and do it with equal passion and time to your playing. Team up with different unknowns, make some great tunes that aren't about a SOLO. Then, you WILL be greater than Eddie Van Halen and many like him. And, you'll be in the public's awareness - where your talent deserves to be.