by Drew Holmes Those of us who attended Drew University in the mid 1990’s remember the celebrity we briefly had in our midst. We knew him at the time as an up-and-coming actor who had graced stages in the greater NY area and was destined for big things. …

by Drew Holmes as published in Music Inc Magazine June/July 2022 Music Inc Magazine June/July 2022 Edit descriptionarchive.maherpublications.com In the early days of COVID, my store was under a state mandated one-month closure. Schools shifted away from in-person instruction and the needs of my core customers — music educators and their students — changed overnight. Podcasting and…

by Drew Holmes Practice had ended and the team climbed the bleachers. We stayed late to witness a classic debate settled once and for all: Who was better — the sprinters or the distance runners? Being a javelin/discus thrower, and therefore a resident of neither camp, I did not have…

a book review by Drew Holmes In Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door — Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy Christopher Mims asks the question: Is our culture of instant gratification worth the price workers pay with their health and humanity? Through an in-depth…

by Drew Holmes I climbed the three flights of stairs one last time and entered my almost empty dorm room. It was almost empty because there was no way my halogen floor lamp, the last item I needed to remove before final inspection, would fit into my overstuffed 1986…

by Drew Holmes We were nearing the end of our second set, and the crowd at the Senior Center was smiling, dancing, and all-around enjoying themselves. I was sitting 3rd trumpet as usual in the Just for Kicks big band and we were playing a WWII themed show, complete with…

by Drew Holmes The church service ended, and I descended the steps from the choir loft. It was Christmas Eve and I had played my trumpet for the evening’s proceedings. As I chatted with Marlene, the organist, a member of the congregation approached me to offer her feedback. “Well, you’ve…

by Drew Holmes The stations went by as I stared out the train window: Summit, Short Hills, Orange. With each passing platform we were nearer to our destination, the recently completed New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ. …

by Drew Holmes Having the front end of your car smashed is usually not a cause for amusement but sitting in the waiting room at the mechanic I was trying to not laugh. “Would you like a drink?” asked the extremely pregnant front desk attendant. “No, thank you,” I answered…