Thomas Frasier Scott         tomscott@themuffins.org                  Born April 12 1955          My sisters Marjorie and Kathryn influenced my early music years by their choice in music. They bought 45's with their allowance money and played them in their room. If I behaved I was allowed to sit  and listen. They also insisted that I learn to dance. When I was taught how to use their record player then  I could play their 45's whenever they were away. I think I lost my record privileges when Donovan's  "Circus of Sour" was played into oblivion. I really liked that song. I haven't heard it in 35 years. I often wonder if I would still like it or have I out grown the song all together.    I started my music studies in the fifth grade. By the time I was in seventh grade it was evident that I was going to do more with music than many of the other students in my class. Mom and Dad arranged for private lessons to help me advance my musical studies. I studied Classical and Jazz. In school every time I had space for an elective I added another band class on a new reed instrument. The Jazz Lab that I participated in during my high school years had a very good curriculum and I was exposed to many fine jazz musicians and clinicians. After school many of the students of jazz formed rock bands. I found my self more interested in playing original compositions than copying what other rock groups of the day were doing. This caused me to quit a few bands that wanted to play cover songs so they could gig out more often. Ultimately it was this inherent quality in me that brought me to The Muffins. I was working as a wind instrument repairman when Billy Swann and I met. My Muffin odyssey began with an invitation from Billy Swan to meet the band in their communal house in Gaithersburg Md. It seems like  more than a lifetime has passed since that fateful evening. 402 East Diamond Avenue was an old house  with a big central kitchen. I meet with Billy Swan and Dave Newhouse and I don't remember who else or  what we talked about, but I will never forget the music that they played for me. The compositions were  different from any I had ever heard. I liked them and I could tell that there was a lot of talent in the band. That evenings drive home to Virginia, I was full of thoughts. I knew the music wasn't going to be a commercial moneymaker, however, I was excited by the ideas I heard on tape that night.   I joined the band and within a few months the drummer quit. To be quite honest, we went through many drummers, Mike Aperetti, Michael Bass, Stuart Abromowitz, then Michael Zentner our guitarist/violinist quit. The mood was low there for awhile, however, the talent that I saw in the Quintet was still present in the Trio, so I figured "what the hell" lets give it another go. We got out and played as a trio, a mixture of compositions and improvisations. Then we found Paul Sears and that was the end of  drummers that quit and we never even looked for another Guitar player. The open sound that we had with a quartet was refreshing and it allowed each player the musical space to really stretch out. Dave's  compositional abilities grew with every song that he wrote and the band was  working together to arrange the songs and forge a sound that was new. Double horn, bass and drum songs started at this time. By the time we had finished Manna Mirage we had become very comfortable with the Quartet.   After <185> was released I became painfully aware that we put a lot of effort into our music and it wasn't supporting us financially. I remember the day that I told the guys that I had decided to quit the band. I was never so unsure of a decision in my life, I loved playing with these guys, but I  needed to put my energies into my family. I had a baby boy at home and my focus as to what was important in life was changing. Driving home from the band house was another night that I will never forget. I was numb inside. I didn't think I would ever play again, I was convinced that my life with music was over. I was wrong about that, Thank  God.... Turns out, I just went on holiday for seventeen years. Ahhhh, it's  really good to be back! I must admit it is more exciting to play now as it was in the early years. We don't go at it in the practice room like we use to. We don't need to. The bond that we forged years ago has grown deeper as time has passed. We really are lucky to have shared a life of music together. I think we still have four or five great CD's left in us. I guess we will just have to wait and see.