What do you play?

[hypotenuse]

I've found that everyone who enjoys music will need some kind of outlet to express that love personally. Either through playing a musical instrument or making music available for others.

And it takes all kinds.

Those that play in a neighborhood garage band or high school band. Those that play alone in their rooms so that no one else can hear that fudged D chord. Those that play an enthusiast air guitar or drum on the desk when their favorite song is on. Those that play DJ or burn CDs for another's enjoyment. And those who play their voice, in a choir, for their own amusement, or at kareoke night at a local bar.

I'm curious. What do you play?

Lynne

(Be on the lookout for "High School Banned" in the next day or so in Easily Addictive on my experiences with musical instruments.)

[taurusmoon]

I play on people's nerves.

I played several instruments as a kid and on and off as an adult (piano, guitar, flute and a couple of instruments of torture, i.e. accordion and ukelele -- just because ). None of them particularly brilliantly I have to say.

Regardless of skill, sitting down to play has been wonderful therapy throughout the years. Unfortunately, I have a tendency to give it up for long periods of time. When I try to resume after years of neglecting that aspect of my life, the sound is so torturous I give up it up again.

It doesn't help that I had to get rid of my beloved piano when I moved to this apartment 2 years ago. It was too big to get in the door (or the window). Or fit in the living room for that matter. It was one of my most prized possessions.

Sara
Thinking about getting a guitar down from the attic

[Grouch]

The trombone.

(at least, I did back in junior high and my freshman/sophmore years)

I was quite the Slide Man.

[slick4591[$]]

Back in the second grade I took piano lessons for a few months through the school. Didn't last long as I kept bending my wrists and the teacher kept correcting me. She finally rolled up a music book and gave me a swat across my wrists.

That was it. I never went back. I didn't tell the teacher or my parents I was quiting until mom asked about paying the tuition. "Nah, don't worry about it Mom. I quit a few months back".

I knew then music was not my forte.

[Dani257]

Well, I can tap out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano. And, I used to be able to play When the Saints Go Marching in on the recorder. Now, I sing, but never in public. Don't want to scare animals and small children.

[hypotenuse]

The only thing I really play is the clarinet. Amusing considering the fact that my 50 year old wooden clarinet came down with a bad case of the wood mites over the summer and had to be destroyed. I no longer own the one instrument I can really play.

But I play at a lot of others.

I've been playing at guitar since my 12th birthday. Gotta guitar that year. And I've been playing off and on every since then. Have a beautiful accoustic that stays in it's case. Don't want to scratch it up! Have another accoustic that stays in Chris' room. He plays on that one and gave up his student accoustic to Courtney so she could play one as well. Also have an electric. One of those ac/dc ones. Can go either way. Plugged or unplugged. And another just regular electric that Chris has confinscated.

I love the flute. Wanted to play that instead of clarinet but there wasn't one available. I have one now! Only it's not in the best condition. Will have to remedy that when I sell my house. I WILL have a flute that doesn't have a rubber band holding the key down. And I will eventually learn to play it. Oh, I can play a few things here and there, but I wanna jam like Jethro Tull!

Chris has a full sized drum kit that I bang on when I get the time. Picked up a few moves when my brother was taking drums in school. We used to swap out instruments for fun. At first he played tenor sax and I played clarinet. Then he went over to drums. I got the best end of that deal because, while he moved on to new and cooler instruments, I was still playing clarinet. He still had the same instrument when we swapped, and I got to learn a few licks.

But all of this made it fairly amusing when Chris came home from band tryouts playing tenor sax. And I knew enough to freak him out. Why do kids never believe their parents know anything? He's always been drum crazy though. And you know something? The kid's pretty good and his band teachers have never even heard him play. Drums that is. He'd have to go back to beginning band to play drums at school and he doesn't want to give up his seniority. Therefore they won't even let him touch a drum at school. Their loss. Like I said, he's good.

And I've also been sneaking in some practice time on Courtney's electronic keyboard. Cool stuff.

We also have the required recorders and maracas and spoons!

Lynne

[hypotenuse]

I forgot. I like to sing as well. Don't have a particularly lovely voice or anything, but I've spent too many years singing for my brother while he played guitar (he's the guitar player in the family and why I say I only play at guitar) to worry too much about singing in front of people.

Lynne again.

[MrsNormanMaine[$]]

I too am a clarinetist - 4th grade through college. Haven't touched it for about fifteen years now though.

Maybe it's time to take it in, have it reconditioned and break out Mozart's Clarinet Concerto again...

MNM

[ms_n]

I started with the violin in the 4th grade since that was all 4th graders were allowed to play. Then, my cat reached out and scratched me one day as I was practicing. One great career ended.

I played clarinet from 5th to 9th grade. I went to honor band a couple of times. This instrument has been passed on to my eldest who has greater dexterity, fluidity, and tone.

Piano lessons started seriously around 5th grade and lasted to 11th grade when I realized I just wasn't going to get any better and lost interest. But, it is still a great past time. I owe my mom a lot for those lessons. Singing and playing praise songs (really easy ones) are a deep part of my self-expression.

I think it is time to owe my daughter the same consideration my mom gave to me. She learned Fur Elise through an afterschool program (mostly on her own), plays it beautifully and to death. She would love to have lessons. Yes, it is definitely time.

[quasar]

I played the violin and the trombone, but I was quite bad at the trombone - they didn't let you take up a second instrument in school until 6th grade and I got braces 2 months after I started, thus ruining my mouth positions and ability to breathe properly

Janice

[kuuleimomi]

Actually I always go with, "I play on people's nerves", but Sara got that already. So surprisingly with all my love for music I don't play on anything. I do scratches sometimes [ya should here my version of Madonna's Like a Virgin, when I first performed it, my brother Stan laughed his butt off and asked me to play it bazzillion times afterwards]. However, I'm not really a DJ, ya know.

Oh, and I do write lyrics. When I was 16 I discovered that I can write poetry [and lyrics too], that was fun. Once I wrote rap for an almost official performance, ugh, not getting into that, but boy, it was good.

Finn

[hadassahchana[$]]

My first instrument was the piano, I got lessons when I was 9 after begging since I was 3. Then, I got my clrinet. I was a music major in university, and the clarinet was my main instrument. However, I wanted to be in the jazz lab band in high school, so I leanred saxophone, and ended up playing baritone sax in high school and university. Being in a small ensemble meant that I had to learn the flute as well, so I added that my seniour year in high school.

I only found out in university that I could sing. When I was in high school, the choir director auditioned me and told me that I was a tenor, but that I couldn't be in choir because my voice 'wobbled'. When I got to university, I still loved to sing, so I would do so in the basement practice rooms, away from anyone who might hear. However, one of the voice teachers was down there looking for someone, heard me and came in and made me sing for him. He told me that I was really a high soprano., and that the 'wobbles' that so bothered my choir teacher were normal, that in fact it was called vibrato and was quite desirable.

So, I can entertain myself for hours! No performing for me anymore, I just play for myself sometimes at home.


Cindy

[Psychovant]

See if this doesn't make you wonder why I chose the turf profession ...

Grew up playing the trumpet (one of the fondest childhood memories I have was of my mother telling off the band teacher who told me that girls didn't play the trumpet, you never saw a more determined trumpet player after that), still do on occasion. I used to carry a mouthpiece around with me and practice constantly. I tell the neighbor boy (who chose to play the trumpet and I teach on occasion) that if he wants the girls to think he is a good kisser to practice as much as he can. My sister took up the flute so I learned that as well. Along with the trumpet came fluglehorn, french horn, and the trombone (although I can not claim to be any form of slide master on it like David).

In high school I also learned the sax cause it just seemed like such a "sexy" instrument and was a nice change from the "screamin'" solos on the trumpet that were a constant back then.

A good friend of mine had taken up the violin so I had the pleasure of learning that as well but I was easily frustrated that it didn't come as easily to me as the horns did. I also seemed to piss people off when I chose to pluck it rather than play it ....oopsie.

My Grandfather taught me the piano (or organ) but I really only learned the basic scale that I had learned from playing trumpet. Meaning? I could only play basic scales - one handed. Nothing can take my breath away faster than sitting with a piano player. *swoon*

I also sang in a band after high school but left them when I got upset that all the songs I wrote they intended to be sung like some sort of freaky Bauhaus ballad. It was worse than morbid, really.

Now, I sing constantly, to everything I can. I have learned that one thing in my life I could not do without is music. Take all the horror flicks away, take all the movies away period but leave me with music and I am a happy, happy girl. My goal in the next little while is to learn to play the guitar (something I have yearned for but never took a chance on) as well as the banjo.

Shannon (who constantly inundates her family and friends with compilation discs of music that they "just have to hear!")

[kurt_messick]

I studied violin and piano.

I have electronic keyboards, a drum machine, reverb box, etc. in my music room. I make tapes for church services.

I used to do backup for some bands, played techie at a recording studio in town, and tried my hand at writing pop-songs. I've made more money at epinions, so that should tell you something about my fabulous career.

However, I am proficient enough for basic hymnody.

I wish I still had a violin.

[hypotenuse]

Originally posted by MrsNormanMaine
Maybe it's time to take it in, have it reconditioned and break out Mozart's Clarinet Concerto again...

MNM

Try Nuncies. It's right off 1st Avenue N. They're good and it's a cool store. I like to go in there and just check everything out. By myself that is. When the kids are with me their hands go in their pockets before I open the door and do not come out again until we head back out the door.

Talk to Gary. He'll fix you right up.

Lynne

[soxfan[$]]

I took piano and guitar lessons when I was growing up, wasn't too great at either (loved playing, hated practicing). I still pick up the guitar every once in a blue moon.

I also did chorus for a few years in middle/high school, but now I confine my singing to the shower.

Ailsa

Little known fact about KFH.

I went to college and started out as a music major. Yep, that's right!

My primary instrument was Sax. My secondary was piano.

I started out in fourth grade with playing guitar. Along the way, I've played just about every instrument.

I got out of Music in college because I became greedy and wanted to make more than $17,000 a year .

Kristina

[shadow8]

I used to play the piano (was a state finalist one time!) and I sang in the high school choir (baritone, naturally). I still do both of those activities on ocassion. I enjoy singing in particular because it gives me a chance to release the built-up tension in me.

Right now, I'm working as an aspiring DJ, mixing up tunes and the like. You know, those DJs at those rave parties and nightclubs who enjoy creating their own techno music. It's a lot of work--and often quite difficult to master--but it's a ton of fun.

[magenta321]

After three years of guitar lessons in middle school, I can play a G, D, C, and Em chord. I never practiced. I hated playing. I just liked having an American Fender Strat. Daddy has my guitar now (he bought it, and he's the one who plays in the house). It's such a beautiful guitar, I am glad someone is getting use from it.

I also sing. I started taking voice lessons in high school. I wanted to be a music major, but no matter what I cannot read music. Reading music has always been like performing brain surgery for me. It's the impossible task. And music theory classes? Forget it! Nuclear Physics hurts my brain less.

If you sing something to me, I can sing it back note for note, but I can't read music to save my life. I was in choir and the ultra elite and competitive choir in HS. I was the only one who couldn't read music. In college I was asked to be in the elite choir too, but I had enough of feeling inadequate for not reading music in hs. Instead, I just dropped out of the choir.

I can be seeing singing weekly in karaoke bars around the state of Connecticut. Look for the girl singing 80s tunes.

[Joubert[$]]

Originally posted by kristinafh
Little known fact about KFH.

I went to college and started out as a music major. Yep, that's right!

My primary instrument was Sax. My secondary was piano.

I started out in fourth grade with playing guitar. Along the way, I've played just about every instrument.

I got out of Music in college because I became greedy and wanted to make more than $17,000 a year .

Kristina

Me too.

And I quit for the same reasons. That, and Composition and Conducting all kicked my butt one semester.



I was a guitar performance major and also play piano. On hiatus from the music program and into journalism, I snuck into a Class Piano for Beginners 2 credit course and stayed there for several weeks until my old advisor found out and had me force-dropped.

"Do you think it's appropriate for you to take this class?"

"Well, I'm not a music major."

"You were a performance major! You've played for years.."


I was a much bigger pain at 19 then I am now.

[lynnzop[$]]

Alas, I went to the George and Kristina school of Music Major until I found out what my options were for jobs after school. Teaching. And I didn't want to teach. I was a performance major, for goodness sake!

Now I wish I had never quit

I loved theory classes. And to this day, I can listen to a piece and "read" the music in my mind. I've tried to describe to my husband the delight I find in "reading along" to a score while the music is playing, but he doesn't get it.

Piano lessons from 1st grade to college
Viola, violin, cello (when I could steal my best friend's cello), clarinet, oboe, sax, trumpet (when I could steal my brother's trumpet). The only instrument I wanted to play that I never learned to was the horn

I've sung for as long as I can remember and I love to perform. Today we had two concerts at church...it is absolutely my favorite thing in the world to do.

Music is so much more to me than just something to toss on a CD player. For anyone else who is a performer...there's nothing like it!

Lynn

[Joubert[$]]

Originally posted by lynnzop
Alas, I went to the George and Kristina school of Music Major until I found out what my options were for jobs after school. Teaching. And I didn't want to teach. I was a performance major, for goodness sake!
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