Hi Pete,

> I say, To hell with recorded music, go visit these people if you can, play
> with them, have coffee, tacos, and more endless actual paper sheets of scales
> and formulae--BUT...you got them from out of someone's very own file cabinets,
> so they're permeated with the air of that person's home, and they personally
> explained to you what and why and coughed in your ear.
>
> I won't ever forget the afternoon I spent at Ivor's house, and it's not
> cluttering my 'hard-drive' in the least...

Wonderful advice. Real, live interaction with others is the best way to
quickly learn and establish lifelong and productive relationships.

On the CD issue, I'd recommend Beauty in the Beast since it's a seminal work
and a good one that most everyone has. I think it is back in production too
- it was out of print for a while. After that, I'd probably just want to
have a few CDs of music from various cultures as a minimum.

For most of us there were no albums of microtonal music practically
available so we learned on our own and that was maybe even a help instead of
a hindrance.

I don't know if everyone is familiar with Jacob Barton's work, but I've had
the privledge of hearing some of his xenharmonic compositions and I find
them superlative. I can't think of anyone that could really teach him a
great deal about microtonal composition; he's doing great already especially
considering his young age. This is still a pioneering field where each may
find his own way, so that's ok. His lifelong passion for wind instruments is
something that would be a shame to abandon or neglect, but rather integrate.
I do hope to hear more of his work since what he has done so far is
intricately crafted and enjoyable.

It's an interesting perspective that composition is work and talk is play.
This seems a pretty healthy view and has the built in temperance of life
balance. Creation and communication/relationships are both important.

- Jeff