If you've been following the news at all, you have heard that the recording industry is stepping up it's efforts to punish those who are stealing from musicians, studios and retailers by illegally downloading music from the Internet instead of buying it. All I can say is go get 'em.

Unauthorized copying of intellectual property is a Federal Crime. Jurisdiction over copyrights is authorized under Article I Section 8 of the U. S. Constitution as well as by international treaties. As reported In USA Today, 5/6/03: "Not long ago, a Justice Department official marveled at the fact that while most parents would be horrified if they walked into their child's room and found 100 stolen music CDs, very few have a problem with the idea that their kids may have hundreds of illegally downloaded songs on their computer hard drives."

He went on to say, "This rampant theft is undermining the livelihoods of artists and songwriters..."

Being a songwriter myself, and a believer in the Constitution, I would like to see serious consequences for the perpetrators of this crime. If it's going on in your house, please make it stop.

As the saying goes: Stuff Happens. Nowhere is Murphy's law more fully in effect than when you're playing music. When you think about it, the path from your mind to the sound coming out your speaker involves many elements. All of them must be working or it gets really quiet. When this happens, you need to have a replacement part handy so you can fix the problem and get on with the show.

Here's a minimum of what you need:

• Strings-They break. Usually while you're playing.
• Batteries-They go dead. Your Megatronic 5000 flanging distortion pitch-shifter pedal will not work even a little bit without one.
• Picks-Mostly they get lost or dropped on a dark stage. Have some on you while you're playing. Have some in your case always.
• Cords-The wires break near the plugs. You can fix them but not in time for the next song.
• Tubes-They don't last forever and their performance degrades over time. Change them annually if you play much.
• Fuses-mostly on tube amps. They don't blow often and if they do, it's usually a sign that something more serious is wrong but have spares anyway.
• Tools-You should have some diagonal pliers (wire cutters) to trim your strings when you change them. If you have a locking nut or Floyd Rose type whammy bar, you'll need the right size Allen wrench to loosen the clamps. On some amps you'll need a screwdriver to get at the tubes to change them.

To be of any use to you at all, these items need to be with you when you play. A set of strings sitting on your dresser is useless. In the music business everyone has to look out for themselves. Don't rely on someone else to have a spare, make up a little repair kit of your own and don't leave home without it. No excuses.

And I'm sure you do too. During the summer everyone is gone for a while. This makes scheduling lessons for forty plus students all that much more fun (not). I try to schedule around everyone's activities without having to spend hours hanging out between lessons. The most important way you can help everyone get what they need is with communication. (Just like real life.) The earlier I know you're not going to use your usual time slot, the more chance I have to fit someone else in. Who knows, you may be able to use their slot.

But remember that the usual cancellation policies apply (see last month) so if you call the day of your lesson and tell me you're going to the beach, that's fine but I won't be able to reschedule your lesson and you will be charged for it.