This work ethic comes from the days I was a bandleader before Cirque. I was the front man, the contractor, and I owned the sound and lighting systems plus the truck to move it around. If I couldn’t do the gig, the whole band was out of work. So, I took that responsibility very seriously. I never missed a single gig in my whole 40-plus-year career, and I just brought that mindset to my job at Cirque. Fifteen years and more than 7,000 shows later, I still have a perfect attendance record.

Our music is very modular. The songs are made up of many small sections that can be lengthened, shortened, repeated, or omitted as the action onstage requires—at a halfbar count cue. The music follows the action onstage. With acrobatics, elaborate stage automations, mishaps, and unforeseen situations, the band’s job is to provide a seamless musical score to the show. Being the lead guitarist, I provide solos that can be resolved within a bar. They can be short or long but must be resolved on cue.

I love this gig! I play with some of the best musicians anywhere, and I’m working with the best organization of its kind in the world. The music is original, eclectic, and fun to play. I could do this for another ten or 15 years.