Mr Laureano-
Thank you so much for your quick and intelligent reply. Also, I can't thank you enough for your contributions to a site like this. We all know you are busy and to take time to help pros and beginners is a great thing.
I agree entirely that we need to keep bringing music to the youth of the US (I don't, however, know too many young kids that would know what a slide-rule is
). I really hope that professional musicians will increase their exposure through outreach programs, and that corporations will increase their funding to the arts.
I am not too old yet, just turned 25, but I was lucky to have great exposure to classical music while growing up. I wish more people my age had the exposure I had. Again, thanks so much for your reply.
Zeb
PS I spent last year at Rice with Greg Haro, a student of yours. Greg is a great young trumpet player, and I expect to hear a lot from him in the future. Congrats!!!