When I graduated from Berklee College of Music I was fortunate enough to go on the road and travel with a nine-piece R&B band that was in the style of the Blues Brothers. I lived out of a suitcase for 3 years and had visited most of North America. I now found myself back in NYC looking to establish myself and find work as a musician. I always had the drive to understand music and the guitar better so I began to search for a teacher.

My brother’s friend worked the graveyard shift in a high-rise condo and needed a last-minute replacement. So, I put on some hair cement and tied my hair in a ponytail; sported the white shirt, red tie, grey overcoat and headed to make a few dollars. At about 3AM a yellow cab pulled up in front of the building. As I opened the door one of the gentlemen gestured for me to come and help him.

To my surprise, the gentleman who was sitting in the back of the cab was too drunk to walk and quietly singing “Autumn in New York.” As I help to pull him out of the cab I notice that he looks familiar and then I notice the saxophone case. I help him into the lobby where I dropped him onto the sofa as he segued into “April in Paris” but substituting New York for Paris. I then ask the other gentleman if either of them lived there to which he replied that he was the owner of unit 211 and his name was Attila Zoller. His companion was tenor sax great Joe Lovano.

Not 3 1/2 to 4 hours later I noticed that Attila was going out for a jog after a night of drinking and playing jazz. He then stopped to chat with me (which was very uncharacteristic for him). I finished up by asking for a guitar lesson. He told me to bring a toothbrush. When the day came for my lesson I stuck a toothbrush in my back pocket and proceeded to my lesson with Attila. I did this for about 3 or 4 weeks until I finally drummed up the courage to ask about the toothbrush.

He told me that he noticed the toothbrush in my back pocket every week since I began to see him. He then continued to inform me that if I hadn’t brought the toothbrush with me, as he had commanded more than suggested, that he wouldn’t have accepted me as a student. Then, he further explained that he had asked me to bring the toothbrush to see how serious and teachable I was. If I had questioned him, he would’ve labeled me as a hard case. If I showed up to the lesson without the toothbrush he would’ve told me that he wouldn’t accept me as a student without any explanation. Instead, he noticed that I brought the toothbrush without question. This told him that I was teachable and willing to to do whatever it takes to learn and get better. It’s a lesson that I have never forgotten.