. >> chuck leavell, author of "growing a better america" talks about environmental causes and the creation of the mother nature network. this is about 45 minutes. [applause] >> good evening, how's everybody doing? [cheers and applause] great to be here. i really appreciate the opportunity to come here, share thoughts with you, tell the story to you, and i had the pleasure of coming in the past, always enjoyed it, heard great speakers, and it's a true honor to have the podium here for a minute or two, so as you know, and as has been noted, my real job is i'm a musician. i'll tell you a story of how i learned to play the piano. i learned by listening to my mother. she was not a professional or teacher or anything like that, but she'd play for enjoyment, and she was good, you know, so now i was the baby of the family, and my brother and sister, when i was very young, five or six years old, were in school, dad working, and often it was just me and mom in the house. i loved listening to her play and said, mom, come play me something, and she'd oblige. sometime she'd say, chuck, you do something

anyway, he came over and i said this is chuck leavell, mrs. so-and-so. he said is supposed to meet someone at 12:00. i said sit down with us. he sat down and said chad, your client to jolts? he thought i was still in the advertising business, so chuck said no, i'm a musician. and sitting there with me, you probably think that he plays a smoke-filled bar or a holiday inn lounge or something. but chuck wouldn't say. he would come out and say it. it subsidizes your musician, would you play? pan out, keyboards. what kind of music you play? mainly rock 'n roll. crying under the table. you play by yourself or you play with the band? i play with the band most of the time, yeah. and just goes on. do i'll play around here? we have a few times, yes. the guy says was the name of the band, half my kids, maybe they've heard of it. the rolling stones. because that's good. i really, what's the name of the band? sinai, chuck admitted we played with. but it was like pulling teeth. i would've announced it in the first decade, you know? of introduction. but he has been ter