The decision to take a gig playing bass on a cruise ship didn’t have the career implications a young Mackenzie Leighton had hoped for—but it did end up shaping an even more important part of his life. When asked how he became a professional musician and teacher during a recent interview, Leighton explained, “I started gigging in high school and the phone never stopped ringing.” After a few seconds, he added, “The only conscious decision I ever made was to work on cruise ships. Before I even played the bass, when I was in eighth grade and playing trombone, I... READ MORE
