I see that Sir Paul McCartney is 64. It made me sad that his bride recently spilt with him. I am a Beatles generation kid and was profoundly influenced by them I suppose without ever submitting myself to Beatlemania. I never had a Beatles album growing up, but you have to realize that I didn't have a record player either. Nor did I have any money to speak of. When I bought a stereo system in 1969 and could buy recordings on my own I began to buy symphonies and art songs and still had no money for Beatles. But I had a radio and I played it and listened to them and memorized many of the songs. The other night on PBS I saw a one man special on Paul McCartney, playing different instruments, singing, building a song on the spot, and you know what, the guy is a talented musician and has a real understanding of composition and orchestration. I do have a doctorate in music and I can evaluate that. I was glad to see how much he knew and could demonstrate spontaneously to an audience. I know that his training has been through experience, meaning that he hasn't had the benefit of examining Bach and Mozart with a teacher to see how they put it together, but has had to figure out what makes music cool on his own. He understood that the division of the beat had to be evident in the music and that the subdivision of the beat made the music "hop." I don't know if he understands that he knows those things, but he certainly could demonstrate those concepts as he composed and recorded a song with the help of an audience. In fifteen minutes there was a lovely recording.

Even though your girl has left you, we still love you when you are 64, Paul.