Alec -- You're on the right track with conjunto.

What I mean is this; don't limit yourself to "listening and playing" ONLY C&Z music. Having an open-minded approach to music will surely open the doors to developing your own style.

I've been pullin' the box for 15 years and have written a lot of originals. A lot of those borrow heavily from Caribbean flavors -- I grew up listening to reggae and calypso -- and that was back in the 70's. I still consume a healthy diet of those genres as well as hip-hop, country, cumbia and pop, not to mention my mainstay of C&Z.

Learning traditional Cajun on the box is critical to your chops and dexterity on the fingerboard -- but if you're not "from or living in" South Louisiana, I've found that audiences appreciate stepping outside of [that] realm, whether it's through a popular cover tune or regional style that is common in your geographic location; e.g., throwing in Tex-Mex flavors in Austin, blues in Memphis, or metal in L.A. -- you get the idea.

Many traditionalists would argue that the way someone handles the turn-around in a well-worn tune or modulates key gives them their own style -- that's true to some extent, but a LOT of traditional players do that. Push the envelope.

My biggest challenge in developing a unique style exists with the attitude of avoiding the cookie-cutter template of playing the same 20 songs every other Cajun box player performs. Those top 20 songs are great -- and important to know and learn -- and to throw your audience a Cajun bone; just don't get stuck there if you want to sound like yourself.

That's my 25 centavos and a cup o' joe...

R!CK