The first time I ever needed to type out an outline for a school project included what could be considered one of the biggest, “duh,” moments of my life.
My dad was a blue-collar worker. Having a handicap, he was not able to pursue the academic dreams he had as a young man. He delivered newspapers for the New York Post. It was a good, job, and he provided well for our family. Once, he told me that he and my mother went to a party where there was someone else who did the same work as my father. My mom overheard the man saying he was a "circulation engineer." My parents laughed because the guy delivered newspapers for a living.
During my senior year of high school, in preparation for my freshman year at the Berklee College of Music, I decided it was going to be very important for me to appreciate more complicated music.