Oh, yeah... It's not ego when I say I can play guitar well. That's tens of thousands of hours of playing/practicing. I don't have any innate skill, that's just practice and dedicating the time to master it. I don't need compliments. It's not ego. I'm pretty fucking good. As in, people happily give me money to play. I've never stopped playing since after I played for a living, at least not for long. I did stop performing for a while, but I still gigged every few months with a buddy or two or ten. I'm a classical guitarist, by training. You're absolutely no obligated to listen, nor are you obligated to say you like it. I'm pretty indifferent, but I do like my ego stroked. Who doesn't? I'm also pretty used to it. I get it a lot. ;-) I'm not cocky, I'm certain. There's a difference! *grins again* Anyhow, if you want to hear me showing off, then I invite you to listen to a short flamenco number: This is on a wonderful hand crafted, entirely custom, guitar. The reason you're hearing this is not to listen to me, but to listen to how fucking awesome this guitar is. It's a work of art, it truly is. I got it at a fair price and am very, very impressed. So, that's why this track exists, but it's also an example of my showing off for the guitar goats. (They requested it.) https://instaud.io/2ak5 (But, back to humility-mode.) That's hundreds of hours of practice, just to learn that piece. It's still not entirely in memory and I read the music as I play it. I *replicate* music. I can compose, but that's not my preference. Either way, I'll tell ya all about how awesome it is to have dedicated a life to mastering an instrument! The guitar is awesome. It has given me back all that I've put into it. I'd have it no other way.