I was chatting with mastering engineer Eric Conn today, a dude far more accomplished than any name dropping could do justice, and he shared his circuitous route in and out of the music business.

A stint in full-80s-mode LA, a sabbatical in Colorado as a carpenter and ski bum, a gig as head audio guru at the freaking Smithsonian, more productive existential crisis (and skiing), culminating in a call from Garth Brooks’ camp in Music City, and Grammys. Many Grammys.

He was outspoken in his belief that taking breaks from music is ok, even necessary, especially if the alternative’s suffocating the joy out of what is, objectively, a remarkable way of making one’s way through the world.

There’s something to be said about laying down the precious thing and, in time, picking it up again, patiently, with more skillful hands.