Karl Berger, who, along with Ornette Coleman, founded the Creative Music Studio, sought to convey to musicians that they can--and must--develop a connection with, a mastery over, an intimacy with, or--if you can stand it--a relationship with the elements of music that have nothing to do with traditions or styles. Live and breath rhythm and tuning. Develop the skills that put you in command of those elements. Disregard jazz, rock, classical, avant garde, blues, etc. What do you as a musician have left? The music of you. You can then take your mastery over the elements common to all music and do what you want with them; play jazz if you want to, don't play jazz if you don't want to; be whoever you are. Be John Zorn, or be Joe Blow. You can call what you play "the music of me," or you can call it creative music. The term can sound elitist when critics use it to compare, measure, or analyze. It can also be of value when used to annnounce that comparison, measurement, or analysis are not relevant. Bob Sweet bsweet@umich.edu READ Music Universe, Music Mind http://www.arborville.com Tne only full-length account of the Creative Music Studio, the twentieth century's premier study center for creative music.