Sometimes, playing music means doing more than just playing the instrument. Sometimes, you have to become a little bit of a mechanic. Recently, I ordered a new neck for my saxophone. I was excited to try it out, but when I went to put it onto the saxophone, I immediately ran into a problem. The connector portion of the neck wasn't fitting. It was simply too tight. At first, I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do about it. I didn't want to force the neck into the saxophone, because that seemed like a pretty good way to potentially damage something. So I started looking into how other saxophone players deal with this kind of problem. That's when I came across a BetterSax video explaining how to DIY-fix a neck that doesn't quite fit. The solution was surprisingly simple. Sandpaper. I got some sandpaper and carefully worked around the tenon—the connector portion of the neck that goes into the saxophone's body. Rather than aggressively sanding it down, I slow...

 August 11, 2026, wasn't just another day on the calendar for me. It was my late uncle's birthday. He died in 2019. For years, August 11 has carried a certain weight for me. It was a date connected to someone I loved and lost. A date that could easily become associated with sadness, grief, and everything that comes with losing someone. But this year, something different happened. I released my debut album on that date. And honestly? I almost didn't. I Wasn't Planning to Release It Yet Before August 11, I was still trying to figure out when I wanted to release my debut album. I was thinking about timing. I was thinking about whether I should wait. I was thinking about whether I should give myself more time. I had already put so much work into the project that I didn't want to just throw it out into the world immediately. There was this part of me that wanted to hold off. Maybe release it later. Maybe wait a few more weeks. Maybe figure everything out first. I was pla...