The Boff: "Listen guys, I'm telling people about this band, you know. We got the owners of The Mets coming in on Thursday. And if you think you can pull something over on them, you're out of your mind.

I'm selling this band, telling people that it's gonna be better than my band. But you gotta do the work. This is not a hobby! And if this is a hobby for you, you gotta respect the rest of us and walk out the door right now.

Listen, if you are not at your house, matching pitches every night...every night...you're not gonna make it.

How often did you match pitches last week?"

Trombone player: "I don't know...Just every time I went into my room..."

Boff: "Tell me the truth! How often?"

Trombone: "Maybe 5 or 6 times..."

The Boff: "You'll never make it!" (to the sax player) "Play me a C sharp."

Sax: "What?"

The Boff: "Play a C sharp on your horn right now."

(He plays)

The Boff: "Did you have any doubt that you would play at C sharp?"

Sax: "No."

The Boff: "Could I convince you that that wasn't a C sharp?"

Sax: "No."

The Boff: "That's how certain you have to be when you're singing!

Listen, you guys are young. If you want to work in this business you gotta know how to sing. I'm telling you. You can play the horn like no body's business but if you can't sing, you're absolutely replaceable!

But if you can sing, you'll get any job you want. You'll walk into the room and other horn players that can't sing will tremble.

You've got to commit to this thing.

All my life...For 40 years...I've heard, 'Tony Boffa talks too much' and 'Tony Boffa this' and 'Tony Boffa that.' You're always gonna have people standin' in the corner, eatin' popcorn, and talkin' shit. And you know why? They're jealous. They're jealous because we've got gigs and they're in the corner eating popcorn.

And if Megan is singing a ballad and you get the giggles because one of your punk friends is in the audience trying to get you to laugh...Leave. Leave right now. I won't have it. You will stand with integrity and you will support her as she sings. You think it's easy to sing a ballad? It's hard!

I've been doing this 40 years, and I'm still practicing. I'm singing all, every day. Right now I'm trying to learn a new tune and I'm singing it every single day. You know why? Because I want to sing a high A. Because I'm determined to sing a high A. Because I refuse to give up.

Have I offended anyone? Listen, I want you to look me in the eye and tell me if I've offended you? You know why I'm telling you all this?

Because I know how good you can be. Because I know how much fun you're gonna have when you get it.

But there's a time for business and a time for play. And this is business. All right, now let's do it. We got a lotta work to do before Thursday..."