DR. WALLACE: I'm a guy who loves music and has a group of friends who love music as well. We also have one girl who sings harmonies with us, and she's also a solo lead singer on a few of our songs.

Our band is trying to develop a style and a sound over this summer, and we'd love to get some gigs in, even if they are unpaid to begin with. We're all in the upper years of high school, so we don't need to a lot of money playing, which gives us good flexibility.

We do mostly cover songs in the soul and blues genres. We love '80s soul music such as the Blues Brothers, George Michael and Simply Red. We seem to be much more in a groove both musically and vocally with soul music than pop, rock or country music. Our girl singer loves the music of Amy Winehouse also. This can give you an idea of what we're into and what we are trying to accomplish.

Can you recommend any ways we can create opportunities to play live at various local small venues? — Rising Musicians, via email

RISING MUSICIANS: Blues Brothers, shoes brothers! No disrespect to Dan and John, but they simply loved the blues genre and did a good job bringing that music to life in their own unique way. They were not the songwriters of most of the songs you likely have heard them play.

If you really want to get closer to the true influential roots of modern soul music, look into the 1960s soul scene championed at Stax Records. Founded in Memphis, Tennessee, Stax produced such acts as Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, Booker T. & the M. G.'s, Isaac Hayes and the Staple Singers, among many other great acts. Look up songs such as the original "Soul Man," "Respect" and "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay," for example.

Study and emulate this music, and you'll truly set yourself apart from other young bands out there these days. Take particular notice of the details about Otis Redding's backing tour band the Bar-Kays (who had all just graduated high school!), which should provide all of your band mates great motivation. Redding and Bar-Kays lived a life of both triumph and tragedy.

Furthermore, an excellent documentary was recently released about Stax Records and how their influence helped bring soul music to a wide new population of listeners in both Great Britain and America. This is the inspiration you'd most benefit from. You'll be rewarded in ways that may help your band both refine its style and perhaps find audiences receptive to the great legacy the original masters of soul music brought to the world.

I WANT TO GO TO SUMMER CAMP!

DR. WALLACE: My parents both work, and my dad has a really good job. He's generous with things such as meals or small items that my brother and I need or want.

But for some reason, he's not about to spend money for larger items, even though he and my mother can obviously afford it. For example, at 16 years old, I'm in a prime age group to attend a 10-day summer camp about three hours away over the week that includes July 4.

Many of my friends who have parents who are not as well off as mine are being allowed to attend, and their parents are paying for it. When I asked, my father told me that I should have found a part-time job long ago to save up money for this summer. Well, no disrespect to dad, but at 15, I was not exactly polishing up my resume.

My dad told me that he's declining to pay for this trip because I need to learn "the value of money" before he will fund my "follies." I don't consider summer camp a "folly" and neither does my mom, but my dad continues to block me. Do you think this is fair? — Just Want To Go to Camp, via email

JUST WANT TO GO TO CAMP: Unfortunately for you, it does not matter what logic your father is using here and whether or not it's fair.

Since you likely still have about a month until the trip, see if you can find some work immediately. Put in the effort and let your father know what amount of money you feel you can save in time. Tell dad you'll put all of your money into the payment, and then politely ask him if he and your mom can front you the balance.

Let him know why the camp is important to you and assure him that you'll continue to work to earn more money upon your return from camp. Tell him you intend to pay him off in full if he would be gracious enough to help you out a bit.

Also check the payment deadlines and speak to your parents soon enough to secure a spot at camp. Hopefully you can attend camp and learn the value of money this summer. I'm rooting for this win-win scenario.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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