I’ve begun playing the saxophone more frequently. Not long ago, I played with a new tenor sax player, and even though it didn’t go any further than that, I’ve said yes to playing with a baritone and a tuba. It was a great experience.

The guy who plays the baritone, plays the trombone in the same big band as me. After one of our rehearsals, we talked about how much we looked forward to a professional conductor. That led to him calling me the next day and asking if I wanted to play with him on baritone and a tuba player he knew. I found it thrilling and promptly said yes.

It was a great couple of hours because they are also nerds when it comes to playing like me. They were fascinated by the sheet music that I brought with me. I had a great time with them. It was so easy being in their company, and we talked like we had known each other for a long time. It was very energizing, and I look forward to playing with them again.