Musicians?

I am a pianist and play the piano only in the weekends during my leisure time. I do not play in public or perform in concerts. My piano is a Kawai US-50 upgraded from a Yamaha upright. I was enrolled in piano classes at the age of 6 and completed the course at 15. In my early twenties I began to develop a passion in music when I set up my first "high-end" system at 19, and that was the time I re-discovered the passion in playing the instrument that I had spent a great deal of time learning.

I have created an almost similar thread about 2 years ago.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?gmusi&1167140637&openmine&zzRyder&4&5#Ryder

I started playing the piano when I was three. Never really took to it until much later- when analog synthesis came along.

I was stunned when I heard native American flute for the first time. Later a friend gave me one and 6 months later I finally recorded my first album (Grandfather's Gift), and a second about a year later (Bow and Arrow).

More recently I've returned to synthesis, see http://www.myspace.com/salubriousinvertebrae

After playing as a one-man show for several years, I got invited to play with a space-rock band (I've always been a fan of Kraut Rock) in town
http://www.myspace.com/thunderboltpagoda

Our first LP has meet with good reviews, and sold very quickly for a local effort. Its on 180 gr vinyl, mastered from the master analog tapes... here's an example of the sort of reviews we're getting:
http://positive-feedback.com/Issue41/pagoda.htm

I am grateful for being able to have a life that allows me to play both sides of the audio experience- performance and recording on the one side, playback in all it aspects (including being a manufacturer) on the other.

This thread is a great idea! What we always talk about is amps, preamps, sources, cables, etc. But it is also great to know that some of us here play music as well. Not just babble about equipment all the time.

I play clarinet. About a year ago I picked up a 1957 Buffet Crampon Paris "Academy Model" Bb clarinet. Legend says that all R13s of that era that did not pass the "R13 inspection" were labeled as Academy Model. This is almost as good as it gets, at least for me, it's an almost R13.
I use Richard Hawkins Model B clarinet mouthpiece.

I also own a vintage 1922 Martin the "Indian Head" tenor sax in excellent shape. This is a gift from my grandfather and I treasure it. Awesome classic instrument that unfortunately I do not get to play that often...just no time. This bad boy needs on overhaul soon. Have few vintage mouthpieces - metal Brilhart and Otto Link(kind of like what Coltrane used to play on). Fine musical instruments, especially vintage, are my weakness.

Love playing music and practice every single opportunity I get.

I am rather embarrassed to say that our piano just got tuned after roughly 8
years. The good news is we have a gem. The guy who came collects pianos and
owns a piano museum and was simply floored - he said our upright sounds like
no other upright he has ever heard or played. He compared it to a Steinway for
goodness sakes. We knew it was good sounding but had no idea. The guy was
so puzzled he took down all the details and is checking it out. It is German, of
course, built around 1910. We got it in Scotland, second hand of course from an
old concert pianist who was too old to play but apparently loved it! (The wife and
daughter play)

I am rather embarrassed to say that our piano just got tuned after roughly 8 years.

A piano tuner once said that some people only call for tuners when the piano key fails to come up by itself when pressed. Gosh! The piano must have not been tuned for more than 20 years to exhibit that sort of problem I guess. Anyway if a person has a good set of ears, he would know when to call for the piano tuner.