Musical Members

[Lorelei]

Thought this might be interesting. Any musical members out there? As we know we have the lovely Cflutist, I am a pianist - so wondered if this might be another thing us diamond lovers have in common. Anyone??

 

[blueroses]

I''m a pianist too. (12 years of lessons, then abandoned for the theatre

) and I sing.

 

[AGBF]

John Quixote is a musician. I know there are more people I know here who are musicians, but I can't think of them at the moment. But don't worry! As soon as someone else posts who they are it will come back to me .

Deb

 

[blueroses]

Deb, I always assumed you were a cellist!!

 

[cflutist]

Lets see:

Fellow tooters (flute) - twinkletoes, ForteKitty (ask her to tell her story about a joke she played on fellow band member after he damaged her precious piccolo), Diamonds4me, and Sparker (haven't seen her for a while)

Chrono - piano and violin

John Quixote - timpani/percussion

SevensOnes - Euphonium (I bet she got to sit will all the guys during band practice)

Bikergirl - oboe and accordion

Sjz - Musician Extraordinaire - who plays sax, flute, clarinet, french horn, trumpet and has gorgeous diamond bracelets to boot

 

[Maxine]

Haven''t played in awhile, but played flute and piccolo from age 10 through HS, and again in the 70s and 80s in community band.......Don''t know if i can still play a not......Played bagpipes in HS...that was hard!!!

 

[Sunni79]

I would love to learn to play piano. I have a full size keyboard, lesson books and a cd-rom. I am not as motivated to try to teach myself and I don''t know any piano teachers...

 

[AGBF]

Date: 6/11/2005 6:18:52 PM
Author: blueroses
Deb, I always assumed you were a cellist!!

That''s my daughter . She is very musical, but keeps switching instruments! She played piano first, then started cello (while keeping up piano) in third grade. She then stopped piano, played clarinet in school (as well as cello) in fourth grade; saxophone (as well as cello) in fifth, then "just" cello. Now she is switching to violin. This summer she is playing violin at a music day camp, but then going away to a "sleep-away" camp for a week to play the cello. If the truth be told, I hope she decides that the violin is no better than the cello and switches back. She has started to become quite good on the cello and I hate to see her drop it! So does her teacher!

Deb

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 6/11/2005 8:41:45 PM
Author: AGBF

She has started to become quite good on the cello and I hate to see her drop it! So does her teacher!

Deb

So does I ! ...I took several years of piano lessons in my 'yout' and harangued my parents into letting me quit. Now I am everyone's volunteered hack at cocktail parties (sigh) but could have been so much more

I re-channeled my pianist energies into the dark side of the musical force... Cflutist, please don't think less of me, but these days I'm more active with drum set & drumline than with timp/orchestral percussion - except around holiday seasons when there are gigs a-plenty.

Both parents were/are pro singers, so I do my fair share of cantoring, but I usually keep that on the D/L. Don't wanna ruin my cool-cat madd skillz drummer rep ya know!

Maxine - pipes? For real?

And Cflutist, when is that PS Flute Quintet a-happening?

Great thread.

 

[cflutist]

JQ, don''t worry, you are my knight in shining armor regardless of which musical genre you play in.

 

[Lorelei]

CALLING FORTE KITTY!! FORTE KITTY!!


Come on, spill! What joke did you play on band member when he damaged your piccolo???

 

[Lorelei]

Great fun, knew there was a lot of talent out there! BAGPIPES? Maxine you must have some set of lungs! John Quixote - HOLY MOLY - he''s a one man band! What about Websailor, do you ever accompany Cflutist? I would also love to learn the violin, but DH says that would sound worse than the cats around the dustbins.

I hotly dispute that - what a cheek!

 

[sevens one]

Date: 6/11/2005 6:34:09 PM
Author: cflutist
Lets see:

Fellow tooters (flute) - twinkletoes, ForteKitty (ask her to tell her story about a joke she played on fellow band member after he damaged her precious piccolo), Diamonds4me, and Sparker (haven''t seen her for a while)

Chrono - piano and violin

John Quixote - timpani/percussion

SevensOnes - Euphonium (I bet she got to sit will all the guys during band practice)

Bikergirl - oboe and accordion

Sjz - Musician Extraordinaire - who plays sax, flute, clarinet, french horn, trumpet and has gorgeous diamond bracelets to boot

Actually, I played in an all-girls'' school.
I had to switch from clarinet to something we were lacking. I chose the Euphonium.

Going from the "main music" of a clarinet to the "bass line" and undertones of the music was the best experience.

No guys!

 

[sjz]

Music is such a joyful way to spend time! Even if you aren''t a muscian by trade. My husband says I am not going to stop until I own every instrument in the orchestra...lol! He may be right! I can play most band instruments, but mostly own saxes. I have three altos and a soprano. Currently looking for a nice jazz style tenor. Don''t have a clarinet anymore. Just got my first flute (it''s been a long time since I even played one, and it''s a lot harder than I remember...maybe my lips are used to reeds...). I have several different recorders and a xaphoon, a piano, electric keyboard, and numerous hand held percussion instruments. My 6 year old is clamorring every day for a xylophone and a drum set (I think he''s still too little, but what do I know?) but he already plays a mean tamborine and is really good on the morroccas

. My guitar grows dusty, I need to do something about that I suppose.

I talk to my friends all the time who used to play in band when they were kids in school, or took piano lessons or violin lessons as a kid and tell them to take it up again! It is so much fun and such a stress reliever for me to wail on my horns. Not to mention, I get a gig every now and then for my hard work. I am one of the few people I know who never really gave up my love for music when I grew up and got a " real job". THANK GOD!

 

[Maxine]

Date: 6/11/2005 8:53:28 PM
Author: JohnQuixote

Date: 6/11/2005 8:41:45 PM
Author: AGBF

She has started to become quite good on the cello and I hate to see her drop it! So does her teacher!

Deb

So does I ! ...I took several years of piano lessons in my ''yout'' and harangued my parents into letting me quit. Now I am everyone''s volunteered hack at cocktail parties (sigh) but could have been so much more

I re-channeled my pianist energies into the dark side of the musical force... Cflutist, please don''t think less of me, but these days I''m more active with drum set & drumline than with timp/orchestral percussion - except around holiday seasons when there are gigs a-plenty.

Both parents were/are pro singers, so I do my fair share of cantoring, but I usually keep that on the D/L. Don''t wanna ruin my cool-cat madd skillz drummer rep ya know!

Maxine - pipes? For real?

And Cflutist, when is that PS Flute Quintet a-happening?

Great thread.

yeah....wasn''t difficult to get the fingering of the notes (similar to flute), but it was hard to breathe!!!!! Had to keep the air flowing while compressing the bag....."seasoned" the bag with honey.....We were school mascots...one of the guys taught us...went to the Scottish games each summer...(yes, he wore a kilt!)

 

[Catmom]

Both my husband and I were clarinet performance majors in college. I ended up having to give it up due to TMJ. Unfortunately, my jaw gave out, too much playing. Isn''t it funny that there are so many musician diamond lovers...........is that right brain or left brain?

 

[cflutist]

Catmom, sorry to read about your clarinet mis-adventures.

It amazes me the various backgrounds that musicians have. I like sjz have a real job but still love music.

The community orchestra I play in is made up of professional musicians (paying positions) and non-pros that play strictly for the enjoyment of it. We have diverse backgrounds. The principal clarinet is a PhD in Mathematics who works for Lawrence Livermore Labs, the principal oboe is a professional who teaches, I am principal flute (IT professional), and the principal bassoon is an Unix Systems Administrator (computer geek) for the State of California. We also have a veternarian, some retirees, and even a Catholic nun who played with us (a fellow orchestra member had to give her rides since she wasn''t allowed to own a car ... the vow of poverty).

I had a scholarship to study at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music but my mother told me a needed a real job, hence the change in majors from Music Performance to Business Information Systems.

 

[websailor]

Date: 6/12/2005 2:57:41 AM
Author: Lorelei
Great fun, knew there was a lot of talent out there! BAGPIPES? Maxine you must have some set of lungs! John Quixote - HOLY MOLY - he''s a one man band! What about Websailor, do you ever accompany Cflutist? I would also love to learn the violin, but DH says that would sound worse than the cats around the dustbins.

I hotly dispute that - what a cheek!

Lorelei,

Actually cflutist always accompanies me! LMAO, okay that''s because she does not drive at night, so I always take her to her practices and concerts. Basicilly I am her chaffeur. I also take pictures of all sorts of her musical things and I run (design, create, maintain) the website for her orchestra. Oh and I guess I am her cheerleader too as I''m always encouraging her in her musical endeavors.

As for musical talent... I have none, nada, zip, absolutely zero. I appreciate live music, know when music sounds nice to me, but can''t play or sing to save my life!

 

[Catmom]

Thank you Cflutist! Having to give it up was quite a shock at the time, but life went on and I went into business and ended up Managing Medicare Reimbursement for a large medical company. My husband stayed with it longer than I did of course. He played for the Mexico Symphony for a short time but decided that he wanted to stay in the US. He came back and taught for awhile at Old Deminion Univ. and then found another calling, he''s now an International Tax Consultant with a top accounting company. So before retirement I was into Medicare Law and my husband is now into Tax Law, both incredibly detailed occupations. I think our success in these areas are a direct result of the detailed nature of music.

Neither of us has played for many years now and unfortunately none of our children stuck with it. I do wonder every now and then if I could play again and then I take a too big bite of food or yawn too much and my jaw goes out and I know that I just can''t do it anymore. Every once in a while I do tinkle around on our piano, though and wonder what might have been.

I''m sorry that you weren''t able to study flute but I''m glad that you didn''t let your Mom totally disuade you from playing. Your community orchestra sounds very interesting and like a lot of fun. I''m totally envious!!

 

[JohnQuixote]

(ahem... I have it on good authority that sjz's HS band won a national championship...)

Date: 6/12/2005 11:11:14 PM
Author: Feydakin
I used to play a loooooong time ago.. I started on the cello.. Then trumpet.. Gave both up when I got cool and got a guitar

Steve - I swear I value you for more of your renaissance-self than just this, but you left an indelible musical footprint when you brought us the magic of magical trevor.

(yeah yeah... yeah, the cow is back!)

Beautiful photo, Websailor.

 

[sjz]

Aside from the instruments you play, what is everyone''s musical specialty? I started out with classical training on the piano, but pretty much switched to horn and concentrated on jazz and band music. I love classic big band and swing music the most. I also do some improv jazz. In my way back past I did a couple of stints with a rock band as a singer and keyboard player, but that didn''t go along with my soccer mom image too well as time went by

.

Lately I''ve been working with pit orchestra for musical theater. That is really fun. I might even get to do THE MUSIC MAN sometime this year. I also sing in a church group, and somehow I ended up as a percussionist (?). But the kids love to tell their friends that mommy plays a tamborine. For some reason they think that is so much more cool than saying mommy plays the sax...lol.

A few years ago, I also played in a community band. That was a lot of fun. Lots of folks from all walks of life. Great way to meet new people.

One of my life-long best friends is a musician. He is one of the President''s Own Marine Band members. He is a featured clarinet soloist. He had to join the Marines to be able to do it, but he LOVES it. We both started out marching side by side in our HS marching band. I just had to share that, because I am so proud of him and think that his career is SO COOL!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/12/2005 9:26:38 PM
Author: Catmom
Both my husband and I were clarinet performance majors in college. I ended up having to give it up due to TMJ. Unfortunately, my jaw gave out, too much playing. Isn''t it funny that there are so many musician diamond lovers...........is that right brain or left brain?

That''s what I was wondering Catmom!

 

[Lorelei]

That is such a shame about your jaw Catmom. Stick with the piano. I played the piano as a child, then gave it up when I left school. I always regretted it, always wanted to play again and a while ago I was able to. Took a while to get the hang of it again, but once I did I progressed quickly I think due to earlier classical training. I am so lucky that I have a great teacher, but boy is he picky! I know it''s for my own good.

My music specialty SJZ is lounge type music! I am classiced out at the moment, not long finished a long and difficult Beethoven piece and prefer something lighter right now. DH always says I sound like a lounge pianist as does teacher, but seriously I think that is the type of music I enjoy playing most. I just play for fun and really enjoy it, only gripe is dang piano won''t stay in tune at the moment and it is driving me nuts and making me cringe! Still , I''m lucky to have one.


Websailor, you are a doll! I bet Cflutist really appreciates all you do! P.S. - have you saved any more moles recently, or have they given up swimming for the time being?

 

[jennalyns]

I''m a high school band director.

I play all the instruments (with varying degrees of proficiency!), I have to for work... I majored in clarinet, it''s still my main instrument, and I''ve been nursing a guitar obsession in the past few years...

fiance is a trumpet player, mostly jazz. great to see so many musicians on here!!!

 

[Catmom]

Date: 6/13/2005 7:52:22 AM
Author: jennalyns
I''m a high school band director.

I play all the instruments (with varying degrees of proficiency!), I have to for work... I majored in clarinet, it''s still my main instrument, and I''ve been nursing a guitar obsession in the past few years...

fiance is a trumpet player, mostly jazz. great to see so many musicians on here!!!

yay!!!

Another clarinet major! I got into guitar for several years, and then tried trumpet and piano was fun but clarinet was always my main instrument.

SJZ - LOL we have a large collection, too! Between the two of us we have 6 clarinets, 3 sax''s, 2 or 3 guitars, 1 flute, 1 trumpet, 1 piano and about 16 varying recorders, oh does a clarinet lamp count? Oh yah, forgot about the drums, my son just sold the set not too long ago.

Lorelei - Thanks, it was difficult at the time. I really should get back into piano.....no arthritis yet!!

I guess I was into a little of everything. I was classically trained in school, but also played with several bands, community and otherwise. Played in several community orchestras and also had my own wind quintet which played all over. I also played in many pit orchestras for several local theater groups. SJZ - you will love playing in the pit bands, it is so much fun! Don''t tell anyone, but I also used to march in high school and beyond in most of the local parades. Boy those uniforms can get hot in the summer!

 

[onedrop]

Ahhhh, I am in the company of many flutists, and other fellow musicians! This is a great thing!!! I also played the flute from maybe age 8 or 9 up until HS. My first career dream was to play with the National Symphony Orchestra. Sadly that dream has been long deferred. But you all have inspired me to get my instrument serviced and starting playing again!

 

[AGBF]

Date: 6/12/2005 11:29:39 AM
Author: sjz
My husband says I am not going to stop until I own every instrument in the orchestra...lol! He may be right!

My daughter is only 12 and we now own a piano; a clarinet; a cello; and a violin! I think the only one we didn't end up buying that she played was the sax! (When we all get together, she will have to borrow one of yours!)

Deb

PS-I sing. I do not sightread for voice, although I do for piano, so I certainly don't sing seriously.... (I have to work out melodies on the piano before I can learn them...unless I am lucky enough to *hear* them!!!) But I have always enjoyed singing. When I taught school some of us faculty members had a madrigals group that met in the morning to sing together. I am a soprano...not a coloratura, but higher than a mezzo-.

Deb

 

[eks6426]

I''m not much of a musician (viola--long ago), but my fiance is a trombone player. He coordinates the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana campus) alumni band every year.

 

[sjz]

Date: 6/13/2005 11:56:16 AM
Author: IslandDreams
I''m not much of a musician (viola--long ago), but my fiance is a trombone player. He coordinates the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana campus) alumni band every year.

Cool about your husband! Was he a former Marching Illini? I am a HUGE marching band freak. I was in my HS marching band, and (all modesty aside) we were really good. I totally am a fan of anything Illini (including the bands). We live in Champaign, and my husband is a U of I alumnus, too. You should let me know when your hubby is in town doing band stuff...I would love to see a performance!

 

[sjz]

Date: 6/13/2005 11:28:30 AM
Author: AGBF

Date: 6/12/2005 11:29:39 AM
Author: sjz
My husband says I am not going to stop until I own every instrument in the orchestra...lol! He may be right!

My daughter is only 12 and we now own a piano; a clarinet; a cello; and a violin! I think the only one we didn''t end up buying that she played was the sax! (When we all get together, she will have to borrow one of yours!)

Deb

PS-I sing. I do not sightread for voice, although I do for piano, so I certainly don''t sing seriously.... (I have to work out melodies on the piano before I can learn them...unless I am lucky enough to *hear* them!!!) But I have always enjoyed singing. When I taught school some of us faculty members had a madrigals group that met in the morning to sing together. I am a soprano...not a coloratura, but higher than a mezzo-.

Deb

Deb,

I''m sure that when the time comes, and we form the "Pricescope Diamond Band", I can loan your daughter a sax!

I sing, too. At the moment, I sing with a church group. I''m an alto. I suppose we will have to have a Pricescpe Choral Emsemble, too

! Do we have any tenors out there?