THE countdown to the annual Faenol festival has started, with Wales' best known opera star Bryn Terfel holding a press conference this morning.
The lineup again this year is a glittering one, with performances from Boyzone, TV star John Barrowman - who seems to be on everything these days - and jungle queen Cerys Matthews.
Opera buffs can delight in hearing Diana Damrau , Nadia Krasteva and John Botha.
This morning Bryn Terfel said something which struck me as very interesting - he said that he hoped the Tan y Ddraig concert will be a chance for families to get together, to see old friends and reminisce under a backdrop of the soundtrack of our youth.
He told me he has very fond memories of seeing bands like Maffia Mr Huws at Pesda Roc and Twrw Tanllyd at Bethesda, back in the day.
He described it as 'being let loose in Bethesda and enjoying a few beers'.
This made me think, which are our most memorable musical experiences - the small, sweaty, noisy gigs of our youth or seeing some big names at Y Faenol or Wakestock.
From my personal experience, seeing Van Morrison at Y Faenol a couple of years ago was an absolute joy; but even that pales into insignificance as I remember the rush of Super Furry Animals at Pesda Roc and my friends and I having to walk home to Bangor afterwards or camping at Porthmadog rugby club after the first Miri Madog.
I'm sure many people in this area can remember when they first heard Bryn Terfel himself honing his skills on village hall stages and at small eisteddfodau in his younger days. Does it bring a smile to your face as you can say 'I was there when...'
No-one can dispute that having major musical talents perform on our doorstep in rural Gwynedd is a fantastic thing, but don't forget the small yet vital concerts and gigs which are a stepping stone not just for our own home grown talents, but also for the next generation of music lovers.
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