CARRYING THE MESSAGE

I'm writing in response to J.A.G.'s letter concerning the frustrations of being a sober musician (July issue). I am a pianist and composer, whose whole identity stems from being sober. One of the greatest fears I had in getting sober was that I would not be able to cut it. Part of the mental obsession in my case was the belief that I had to be "wrecked" in order to play well. It took many months of sobriety to overcome this fear, which I now regard as folklore.