Taking It on the Road
Last year Forman and his western swing band, Cowbop, initiated the “Route 66 Challenge” to help spread the message of JMW. With only $100 and a full tank of gas, they left Chicago with the intention of “relying on the kindness of strangers” to help them get to Los Angeles. Forman and the band performed anywhere they could and visited schools and community centers to demonstrate firsthand how music can transform lives. They raised money for the program through a pledge-per-mile sponsorship and were so successful, the band embarked on a “Route 66 Revisited” trip this past fall. (Full details of these and other fundraising projects are available at www.wayoutwestmusic.com).

Throughout it all, Forman maintains his basic philosophy regarding playing and teaching music. “We all heard something that inspired us and sparked us on the long and often arduous journey of hard work, lessons, and the willingness to risk humiliation as we chase that feeling and sound down in public,” he says. “It is important that we stay true to that every day and in every note that we play. It is the music, the expression through sound, which makes us human.”

Bruce’s Advice
On practicing: “Don’t lose the context for the hard work. Play music and learn tunes— play, play and play some more!”
On teaching: “Teaching music is a calling. You must want to inspire people to do their best. Be a student of the music yourself. In many cases, good teachers do more to further music than good players.”
On starting a music studio or community program: “Stop talking about it and do it. This is the core of my philosophy: Turn an idea into action, the rest will take care of itself. If someone wants JMW to help out, we would be glad to assist.”