David Soyer.

An inherent problem inextricable with the music world will always be that our mentors, ones that become particularly close to us, are already at the last chapter of their lives when we enter them.

I'm 28 now and it's 2010. The death of Isaac Stern didn't affect me at all, and although Mr. Frank's wife passing was a shock, she had been dying for years.

Not having Mr. Soyer around, though, is different. His death sent a shockwave around this generation of musicians like none other I've seen in my life so far.

I left him a message the day before he died, simply wishing him a happy 87th birthday, reminding him that "that's pretty damn old," and letting him know that I'm getting a big head now that nobody bothers to tell me that I'm stupid anymore.

We love you, Mr. Soyer. RIP

"You can do it your way...if you want to sound like shit." - David Soyer