Reading through various threads, and the discussions on serious/non-serious music, real/dumbed down classical, real/fake pianos, perfect/inprovised versions, fake/urtext sheetmusic, etc, etc, etc., I got to thinking about how diversified a group we are, and how any one of us can play anything any way, any style, and the effort is appreciated, critiqued, honest opinions given with good intent, never try to "hurt" someone or compare one effort against another (except as an example of another way), and really enjoy each other (Funburger has the longest paragraph, so I am going for the longest sentence).

Anyway, I don't think I say how much I appreciate this forum and the people I have met here. When having a "bad" day (like today), I come here and I am cheered up, inspired, see others with the same issue (different level maybe, but it's still the same effort to improve..)and I feel better, relax, and hit the keys with a new energy....

So, thanks for the support. There, now I feel better and can to back to being a jerk....

Mike

Haha... My feelings exactly, Mike. Nice job; good message.

Well....isn't that special (in my church lady voice)

I agree....great place, great people, great music!

What I like about this forum is that you can call something a "song" and not get chewed out about it.

Group hug, group hug. :2hearts: :2hearts:

p.s. Flippancy aside, in addition to the great company, probably the biggest benefit I get out of this forum is recommendations for artists to listen to and new sheet music to learn. I had never heard of David Nevue before I joined the forum, and Bob Muir (I believe it was) recommended "Solitude" as an easy piece. A year later and I am a Nev-Head! Same thing with Einaudi and Yann Tiersen and Yiruma. It's been incredibly educational and gratifying.

Yeah...its a kool, funny and inspiring place

I'll join y'all in that group hug

And yeah, you can call a song a song here...that makes it waaaaay kool IMHO

I know, I know...Of course you can also say "piece" too (before I get lynched

regards


Lee

Very nice post, Mike. It takes a special kind of person - a person with a lot of heart and soul - to post up what you just did. Good insight... Yup... come here for some solice... go elsewhere, sometimes... whatever really floats your boat... Daily changes... but then again, not even....the important is to be happy in what you do.

And as for Funburger with her longest paragraph - that girl/woman rocks in my opinion. She so does. We all shine in our special way. Very nice.

Totally agreed. I admit to being hesitant at first, because I thought- heck, I can barely figure out where middle C is! These people are going to think I'm sooooo sorry as a piano player. But you are all so very encouraging and helpful and amusing and so much more! Good place, good people, good music- what more could you ask for ???

jumping in on the group hug :2hearts:

i get to mushy so just the hugs

:2hearts: :2hearts: :2hearts:

Good food?

I was also a part of this "group hug", except, I think someone may have groped me in the proccess! , Sharon was that you??

Do I *look* like Sharon?

Ok, ya got me there!!! Chili, anyone??

What I like about this forum, is that I am surrounded by people who are just as or more obsessed by pianos than me. I just love to talk about them, see pictures of them, hear people obsess about lessons, progress and music. Could there be a better place. In my life i can only share my obsession with my teacher and she has been playing for years. So I to love this forum.

group hugs ?


nah!

let's have a dogpile instead!




with Frycek on the bottom, so she can't get to the piano for the next several days.

Hey Mak - you related to the guy with a can of beer in his pocket? My kind of party animal....

[looks around...doesn't see anyone I know] joins group hug :2hearts:

IrishMak...I'll take a bowl tooo..red or green? Do you travel to different cookoffs?? Michigan area?? They have one in Plymouth, Mi in the fall.

That group hug was nice....


(Hey! Where's my wallet?!)

::::takes money....throws wallet to the ground....runs and hides....::::::

:rolleyes:

I saw that rocky...I want my cut

Umm, no, not that one, but there is usually a copious amount of "tasty beverages" at a cook-off... Chili cooks are known for that as much as for the chili!! Ah, yes, nothing like a good tequila shot at 10 AM or so!!! LOL

You can have either red or green. People's choice is always red, but the competition includes both red, green and salsa.

We do mostly cook-offs around here- MA, NH, CT, NY and once in a while, PA. The furthest out we will get this year is Omaha for the World's Championship. We would like to do a "chili vacation" some year and hit a few in states we've never cooked in. I'll put MI on the short list....

Pass me some recipes via PM, please! I love trying new chili recipes!

Frank-

http://www.chilicats.com

Recipes are there... Working on getting a green recipe put together that can be done reasonably easily.

Awesome! Thanks, Mak!

You're welcome! Just a note on the chili recipe- if you like it hot, you can chop some jalapenos and put them in the pot, as well. We do this for our "hot" pot of chili. We use this basic recipe for our People's Choice pots- just make one hotter with the powders we use and the jalapenos. The mild version does have heat, but not as much....

Nice.... I might make some, this weekend.

Let me know what you think!