1) Which of Joey's relationships were influential in helping him decide to pursue music as a career?

2) What qualities did Joey have that allowed him to pursue a career in music against his fathers wishes?

3) How did Joey's first trip to San Francisco and the symphony at age nine affect his career choice?

4) What did Joey's swimming lesson tell you about his father?

5) How do you think the boys late-night visit with his Mother to pull his father out of the brothel affected him?

6) What was Joey's greatest fear when his mother was thrown from the family car onto the freeway? What did this scene tell you about Vernon and Ellie?

7) Joey's best friend as a child was his dog, Trixie. How did his last moments with Trixie affect him and his relationship with his father?

8) Joey had to stand by and see his dear friend, his horse Silver, suffer at the hands of his father. How did Joey feel about himself afterwards?

9) In what creative ways did Joey seek revenge for the many crimes of his father?

10) What did Joey's first encounter with Catherine on the school bus tell you about him?

11) Did Vernon show any remorse for the pain he caused Joey?

12) What role did Roger play in Joey's life?

13) How did Jolene's bad experience with some of the football players shape Joey's view of his football buddies?

14) How did Vernon's relationship with Joey differ from his relationship with Joey's brother?

15) What were the benefits of Joey's playing his trombone on the roof of the barn for Catherine?

16) Why did Joey decide to ask Donna to marry him? What were the consequences of that choice?

17) Why did Joey choose Donna over Catherine?

18) How did Joey's decision to marry Donna affect Catherine?

19) In what ways did Joey wind up behaving like his father?

20) What did Joey learn from his single-minded pursuit of his musical ambition?

21) In what ways are Joey and Roger alike? In what ways are they different?

22) What lessons did Joey learn from his time in Hollywood with Paul Weston?

23) Were you satisfied with the way Tears and Trombones ended?