"Well, let me, first of all, say, that as a microtonal composer, I've never been much of a theorist"

John Eaton is a microtonal composer, which indicates he deals with music that uses periods smaller than the traditional semitone. In this quote, Eaton is expressing his lack of theoretical understanding in contrast to his compositional abilities. He is saying that while he is a talented author, he does not have the exact same level of theoretical understanding of music. This could be due to the truth that microtonal music is not as extensively studied as standard music, so there is less theoretical understanding offered. Eaton is likely highlighting his compositional abilities over his theoretical understanding, as he is an author first and foremost. He is likewise likely trying to highlight the value of useful understanding over theoretical understanding, as he has actually been able to produce successful microtonal structures without a deep understanding of the theory behind it.