"As noted in last month's Mailbag, I was unable to write 'Songs in the Key of Tux' last month. My intention was to take a look at Linux-based recording software, but I was disheartened by some work-related RSI in my left arm--which is pretty important to a right-handed guitarist--and by an accident which befell Dan, my drummer.
"The beat, as any self-respecting musician will know, is central to any form of music; and any attempt to record without a beat as a guide will be pretty disastrous--especially if, like me, you tend to use a lot of tempo changes. My efforts at creating my own drum tracks in Songwrite haven't been very impressive, so I was relying on Dan to provide this essential piece..."