In the first meeting of the faculty, today, they said next semester you must put together a panel and someone else said for now just blue sky it. I do like the idea of studying “being melodic” or as Chris Cavanagh put it, the “practice of melodicism”. Such a perfect academic spin, no? Wearing my Los Pollos Hermanos t-shirt, only one person said anything, the teenager at Toys-R-Us. I asked for directions to find something for my daughter, he smiled said I like the shirt. I said you know what it is? It’s Gus Fring he replied. He was right. Probably better luck than the three letters I sent tonight to booking agents for Valerie Simpson, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. This is my blue sky, Stevie, Paul and Val.