[John Lister]

Franco, let me ask you what 'credentials' most top musicans have, people like Jimi Hendrix, John Bonham for instance, and NO, I am not comparing myself to them. There are drummers like Mick Fleetwood and drummers like Lorne Kelly. Obviously Lorne is a thousand times better technically. But there is more to music than technique, much more. Look at Led Zeppelins John Bonham, and how his tempo would drastically speed up. (eg Dazed and Confused) This is the number one sin of drumming, yet he was widely respected for the feel he brought to every song.

I don't know what "wild claims of amazing credentials" you say I have made. I am an accomplished musician, that's it. I know what I can and cannot do on the instruments that I play. I am 'accomplished' at several instruments, like it or not, and without lessons, like it or not.

This CD of mine began as 'meditation music' and was intended to be hypnotic, with gentle waves of increasing and decreasing energy. It is NOT a showcase piece to demonstrate technical skills, there is little technique required as far as musical chops are concerned. That does not mean that I can not handle more technically demanding songs as a drummer, keyboard player, bassist, etc. The strengths of this CD are in the evocation of emotion and deep feeling, it's more about waves of moods than song structure. For you to therefore assume I am incapable of anything more complex simply shows how limited your thinking is, if you base a person's talent only on the degree of speed and dexterity a particular song may showcase.

As for furthering your attack on me to include photography and other areas, and again to question my 'qualifications', again I remind you that the greatest in any field (and again I am not claiming greatness here) are usually not those who took courses in the subject, it came naturally to them, be it photography, sculpture, playing an instrument or whatever. You say 'self taught' as if it is always a bad thing. How many top ten participants on American Idol had qualified voice instruction? Usually none, which is not to put down music instruction, it is just not the only measure of musical or other ability, as you seem to be stuck on believeing.

I taught advanced music theory in TWO instruments for the Ontario Conservatory, and before that taught at other establishments. I played in my high-school band, yet did not take music at all in high school. I also taught private lessons for many years. One of my students went on to have a succesful career in a rock band, again I am not here to defend myself and will not resort to name-dropping. I was able to do this becuase I STUDIED music theory, not in school, but by reading the same books a teacher would be teaching from. I also went out and watched top musicians to see for myself the practical aspects of what I was learning from textbooks. Sitting on my ass and having someone read it to me would have been easier, I decided to learn it on my own, as I have done with other things which is why I am a succesful business owner today, and yes, I taught myself business management, accounting, and much more the same way.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion and their own preferences, but I am puzzled as to why you think you should ATTACK something you may not like, comments that I am 'clearly' not a drummer or keyboard player for example. Where do you get off on doing this? Who made you an authority on other people's skill levels, especially when all you've seen is a very simple piece of music that is clearly not intended to show musical technique, but to create an entirely different feeling?

You (and everyone) have a perfect right to an opinion, you don't like the song, you hate the chord structure, you find it boring, etc. But to attack someone and claim they are 'clearly' not a drummer or keyboard player simply shows what your own character is made of, ignorance. When you ask if my qualifications are 'MORE BS' you are being ignorant and insulting. What BS are you referring to in the first place? You call me a 'faker' because someone on YouTube said it about my admittedly poor video skills.

Franco, you crossed the line by referring to me as 'clearly' not a drummer, comments about 'BS' etc. and if you were any kind of man you'd apologize. Somehow I doubt you have it in you. . . hey wait a minute, that sounds awfully familiar!