Been reading PW again recently. The more things change... Seems plenty of the usual suspects are still around. Have lost track of MarkC's post count by now.

Anyway, I'm super busy at school these days. I'm a computer science major (can't remember if I have stated this before), and am considering a double math/CS major.

Piano is kinda sorta on the back burner; I'm playing violin now. I signed up for a no credit group strings course this semester and I'm having a blast. Great relief from all the math. I've been dabbling with the viola as well. Playing with other people is something that I'm weak on, but I'm picking it up quickly. We have a good group of students who can (mostly) play in tune. One student who is just starting did manage to break her violin's bridge while tuning. Displaced the soundpost as well...

And during my piano break, I'm doing composition with my regular music teacher. Working on orchestrating a short modal piece I wrote for solo piano.

I started violin last summer, and I've been surprised at how quickly I've been able to pick it up after hearing all the horror stories of 1-2 years before even sounding somewhat presentable.

Well I figured somebody ought to do an actual reply instead of just looking.

Interesting to see what you've been up to. You're sure doing a lot with music for someone who isn't even necessarily majoring in it! Playing with other people is a great thing on many levels: making our music social, improving our musicianship -- including especially our sense of rhythm and just the ability to listen. And learning other instruments expands us further. I played violin too, and it gave me a whole extra perspective on music.

I'd love it for others also to give us similar updates now and then....

Mark has actually been slacking lately. It's going to be summer before we learn if something comes after "yikes!"



I can relate to the horror story. I attempted violin for a year in high school. sq

Why thanks, Mark. Seeing as PW was the first forum I ever joined, I feel somewhat attached I suppose.

I really enjoy music. I'm not foolish enough to think that I have the chops to make my living doing it, but I have fun. And that's what counts. A perk of the school I go to is that while we are a small science and engineering school music is important to a lot of people here, and there are facilities to realize that. Recital hall, practice rooms, etc. Also free chamber music concerts twice a semester by a superb string quartet.



Ahh, I'm sure he'll make it.

Assuming you never touched a violin again?

Always nice to hear updates from the regular posters. A while back I was browsing the early days of the forum and found it was a lot more personal than it is now. Perhaps with the larger audience we have now people tend to stick more to the subject of the forum?

I was talking to my violinist today, and told him that I had quit my job as a software engineer to pursue music. He thought I was crazy for doing so even though I was unhappy in my other job. I was unable to make him understand my desire for wealth in happiness instead of wealth in money. That said, if my pursuit of music doesn't get me enough money, at least I have something to fall back on temporarily!

That's nice. I do enjoy CS and mathematics very much, so I don't mind working in those kinds of fields. Props to you for taking the dive and doing music full time though!


The forum was more personable back in the day. There were fewer trolls (though trolls certainly existed!!!) and a larger number of highly knowledgeable people posting...some of whom either haven't been around in ages or got banned.