Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum OT, Tell us about yourself

Why thank you!

How CUTE!!!!

I knew it! You start posting adorable pictures of cute furry animals and the thread is bound to go off topic. I guess it's ok since the OP is the one throwing it off the rails. :p

Am I a beginner if I currently have nothing to play on? Maybe...I try to play songs in my head right now. Does that count?

Let's see, 43 years old going on 80. I always wanted to play the piano but my parents didn't have the money for lessons or a piano when I was young. My older sisters played clarinet and guitar and when it came to me, my chosen instrument was too expensive. Bummer! So I waited until I was 34 and bought my Steinway M! My mom had just died of Parkinson's Disease after suffering for many years and I just decided that life was too short and I had to do what I wanted to do for myself. So I took lessons from a high school student who was an excellent pianist. I was into Broadway tunes...Les Mis, Phantom, Cats, plus movie theme songs. I was using Alfred's books and then I began traveling more for work and then I got pregnant & tired, etc.

Enter the kids. My daughter was diagnosed autistic with all sorts of other problems, at age 2 years 3 months. I was 8 weeks pregnant with my son at the time and have since spent most of my time trying to find services and therapies and funding for my daughter. I quit my job in marketing for HP. When my son was 2, he was also diagnosed autistic (no surprise since we knew the signs) and then my life really spun totally out of control. No time, no life. I never had any time to play the piano at all. I'd look at it and wish I could play, and I'd feel guilty for not! I never thought we'd ever sell it...and we were just starting to tinker with it a bit when we began looking at our assets and trying to figure out what to sell. I have been very sad ever since!

Now I have a teacher lined up for me (and my daughter if she'll sit still long enough), so I'm trying to find a piano. I just bought the sheet music to Wicked & was at the store looking for "Killing Me Softly" in easy piano plus some Elton John and old Broadway songs.

Oh, I love dogs. We used to have three siberian huskies...now we have one left. Married 8 years. Love to travel, used to play a great game of tennis, love a good glass of Cabernet & old movies. I hope to write a book someday when I can make the time. Graduated from Stanford in Communication & Psychology. If I could do it all over again...I'd keep the Steinway!

Hi, good to read about you all!

I'm 23 years old, graduated from University of Aberdeen last year - Honours Geography, although I dabbled in International Relations and Politics.

Started playing piano in October - my grandad passed away and left me some money, so I thought it would be appropriate to get a piano with it (i used to hit the keys on his acoustic when I went as a kid).

Played clarinet for a couple of years during high school, and also electric guitar for 5 years. Was very much into playing squash / racketball, until a rather drunken incident left me with a mangled elbow.

Currently spending my free time playing piano or golfing. I live near St. Andrews so golf is quite popular around here.

Have been to US and Canada once each - Detroit and Toronto were the destinations. I'm keeping quiet about which place I preferred

Musically, my favourite artists include: Chopin, Rachmaninov, Alicia Keys, Lacuna Coil, Yann Tiersen, Nightwish, and Deacon Blue - a fairly wide selection.

Next....

Right, then, I'm 17 years old (youngest here?) and I guess techincally not an Adult Beginner cause I started at 13. But anyway I'm not exactly surpassing anyone in the skill department, so hopefully noone minds

I listen to a lot of music other people would define as scary *cough*Rammstein*cough*, but apart from that I really like a Japanese singer called Gackt, and will listen to about anything else that doesn't include bagpipes

(if you want me to be more specific, Nightwish, Matchbox Twenty, HIM, Alex Lloyd, George, and Nickleback are a few of the more well known names on my playlist)

Apart from music my interests are art, animation and learning Japanese. I'm hoping to go to Japan sometime next year, I don't know for how long.

I have two parents who really don't get the whole "music" thing, a sister who just started guitar lessons, and a cat who wont go near the piano after jumping on the keys one day. Nice to meet you all!

Ok, I'm 48. I'm a self employed sign painter, my father and grandfather both did it also. I was trouble up to age 25. Got married at 25 and just celebrated 22 years with the love of my life. Two great, responsible kids both over 18 now (don't know how I deserved that).

Started playing with computers in high school, kinda became the pc guru for everyone I know. I play lots of online role playing games. I took up golf 3 years ago and play whenever I can (50 rounds a year or better). I hope to break 80 this year. I challenge anyone to online golf.

Owned a Harley for 10 years till it became a fad. Got off it while I could still walk straight.

Started playing the piano a year ago, because I always wanted to play. Finally got around to it.

Hi,

I am pretty new on this forum so I will take this opportunity to introduce myself.

I am a female, 24 years old and live in Enschede, that is town in the east of the Netherlands. I'm studying mechanical engineering and will be busy with my graduation for the next six months. In the mean time I'm trying to find out what kind of work I would like to do after my graduation. For four years I am together with my boy friend, but we still live seperately in student homes.

I started music lessons at the age of eight with wooden flute (don't know the english word), but jumped over to electric keyboard on the age of 10. Two years later I had persuaded my dad that I absolutely had to get a piano and take piano lessons. So it went. I took lessons for 5 years and one year of preperatory training at the conservatory. Instead of going for the music I decided to go to university and didn't play (at least hardly) for about 5 years. Last November I have bought a digital and now I am working hard to get to the same level again.

So, I am busy with my study, spending quality time with my boyfriend, teaching second grade engineering students for a couple of hours a week, working hard on the piano and jump in the swimming pool to stay in good shape

Krista

Hi,

I am pretty new on this forum so I will take this opportunity to introduce myself.

I am a female, 24 years old and live in Enschede, that is town in the east of the Netherlands. I'm studying mechanical engineering and will be busy with my graduation for the next six months. In the mean time I'm trying to find out what kind of work I would like to do after my graduation. For four years I am together with my boy friend, but we still live seperately in student homes.

I started music lessons at the age of eight with wooden flute (don't know the english word), but jumped over to electric keyboard on the age of 10. Two years later I had persuaded my dad that I absolutely had to get a piano and take piano lessons. So it went. I took lessons for 5 years and one year of preperatory training at the conservatory. Instead of going for the music I decided to go to university and didn't play (at least hardly) for about 5 years. Last November I have bought a digital and now I am working hard to get to the same level again.

So, I am busy with my study, spending quality time with my boyfriend and other friends and family, teaching second grade engineering students for a couple of hours a week, working hard on the piano and jump in the swimming pool to stay in good shape

Krista

I'm 45, I hate my job, I love the piano. Oh and I lead a very boring life!

I don't know about anyone else - but I'm getting all exicted knowing about you people.

more.......


Sharon

Hi. I'm 36 and computer guy by trade in Indiana. I played trumpet for 8 years, played piano for one in High school, and then graduated with a Classical Studies Degree in college. Just started piano up again in January after almost 20 years off of music. I've started a group piano class with the University and had my first lesson with my new teacher last week for private lessons.

The reason I started back was a piano my wife bought so that she could start taking lessons (she has never played an instrument). The piano was a $100 and unplayable. I've told the story before, but I ended up working on the piano for two months tearing everything apart and putting it back together(straps, springs, dampers, felt, a broken hammer, etc), replaced some keytops, having it tuned, and just finished with some work to the outside. New piano bench, and presto...working piano. That was Christmas.

My wife is still deciding when to start her lessons. I sit down to show her a few things, and now I'm practicing an hour a night, and she's still deciding. But, we've been together for 17 years and she has always wanted to play. I suspect it will happen soon.

My name is Chrissi, I was born in Hamburg, Germany, where I still live (since 41 years, so guess how old I am ), for the last 13 years together with my common law spouse. He has two adult daughters whom I love very much. The younger one has a little daughter (1 ½ years old) herself, this is our little sweetheart. So I am grandma „honoris causa“.

I’m working at a big insurance company where I have been in the claim department until 2001. Because of a merger my job got in serious danger so I changed to the IT section where I now administrate a tool for Project management. Nothing famous, but ok.

My spouse and I love travelling, the biggest trip was to Australia in 1996 where I totally fell in love with Koala bears and wombats. We like the Canary Islands very much because of their perfect climate and only 4 ½ hrs flight time.

Music was always a part of my life. Together with my mother I listened to operas, my first real passion was ballroom dancing (did it until I was 24) and I sing along with almost every sort of music on the radio. But since I had a very bad experience with learning an instrument at the age of 8 or 9 (it was the flute, the teacher was mean and brought me to tears very often) I had lost my self-confidence already as a child.

Two years ago we joined a concert of a great Dixieland-band (all amateurs) and one of the members told me that he had started playing the sax at the age of 50 from scratch. That was the moment when I started thinking about learning an instrument myself. That turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life! My music and my piano give me such a joy I could never have imagined before. I dream of of having much more time to learn and play but lotto didn’t make me a millionaire until now and retirement is far away. So I try to do the best I can under the given circumstances.

Because English is not my native language it is not always easy for me to express my inner feelings in a written form but I want you to know that this place here is very precious to me. In real life I have no one to share my passion for piano with, except my teacher. I have never seen such a great place at the Internet before. So many friendly and helpful people, interesting personalities, serious discussions.

Chrissi

@Hunkster:
Couldn’t you send me a pair of your cute little llama crias to Germany? Our garden is perhaps big enough and I can assure you: No rattlesnakes! (Do they like snow? At the moment our spring blossoms are all covered with huge amounts of it...)

OK,
I am 51 years old and I was fascinated by the piano since I was 5 y.o.
I bought my first piano only when I was 23 (it was a very very old Schiedmayer - Stutgard upright) and my dreams comes true when in the last September I finally bought my 27 y.o. used Kawai KG-3C grand.
I am married but for work from monday to friday I live alone 130 km far away from my home and from my grand piano, I have also a 31 y.o. daughter that lives with her boyfriend 40 km far away from me.
In the house where I live for work I have a digital piano (Clavinova CLP-280) because I could not live without playing the piano.
My piano level is intermediate)
My other hobbies are photography, chess but music (piano) is my life !
Luigi

Hi Hunkster and the gang

I am 43 years young and have 2 children, 2 beautiful boys who are 7 and 16 months old. I have been playing piano since October 2003.

After an argument with my wife about piano lessons for our 5 year old (she wanted him to start...I had bad memories of piano lessons when I was a child and didn't want him to go through the torture I remembered).This was an argument which (as usual) I lost...so, we/I bought a cheap casio unweighted piano for him to start with.

I started plunking around and the rest as they say is history...here I am totally addicted!!!

Now, I own a Yamaha CLP170 in polished ebony and a casio PX100 and I've not stopped buying yet (yesterday I ordered a Yamaha motif ES rack for the casio and am excitedly waiting for it to arrive!) the casio will be upgraded next...but, one day I will own a nice big grand piano too...oh yes!


I own a gym...this one:-

www.olympiagym.net


and I am a wedding/party DJ in my spare time


Lee

Ok, folks, here goes....

My name is Dean. I am 28, grew up in Florida, and after 8 years in the mountains of North Carolina, I have been back to Florida for two years. I am 5 years married, with two dogs: a dachshund/beagle and an american bulldog. My bulldog's mug is currently displayed on the cover of Dog Fancy for April. She is the small corner picture, not the main picture. My wife and I took ball room dance lessons before Dancing with the Stars made it cool. I am an avid racquetball player, and would like to compete in tournaments sometime soon. I also like to watch tennis (always cheer for Andre Agassi), motocross, and hate to admit it, but I also follow NASCAR.

On to the piano....
I took 9 years of lessons as a child/youth. I then took a 10 year break and have just recently decided that I want to get back into the swing of things... I am currently getting my fingers back up to par, and doing what I want to do. I am very interested in becoming more proficient in pop styles. My current plan is to get back to where I want to be, and in the next 2-3 years lock all my music in a safe and join Piano Magic. I currently play a lot out of the Billy Joel Keyboard Book, Elton John Keyboard Book, and every other book in that series. I like to sing when I play. Unfortunately, I sound a little bit like Kermit the Frog when I sing. My piano is a 12-14 year old Technics digital, that I got brand new when I was in high school. It has served me well, but I am starting to look for a new piano.

Ok, hope this wasn't excessive....

My turn…I’m 49, soon to be the dreaded 50 in May… started lessons @ the age of 8, did the octave/chord thing for 5 yrs, then did the classical scene for 1 ½ yrs. Performed in the Grinnell’s piano recital in 69’. My piano at the time was a Janssen upright that my Dad bought when he got out of the army in 45’. Was in band-played drums and baritone. Played drums in a drum-n-bugle corp. for a few yrs too. Then came girls & cars…Raced on a drag car team for 3 yrs…Ramcharger Hemi ‘Cuda SS/DA, raced go karts, enduro motorcycles, crewed on a Formula Ford for a few years, snowmobiled and started to restore an antique car – K3 Allard. Oh yea, played golf when I could . Meet my wife in 88’ (blind date), married in 90’…no kids . Started playing more golf, but piano was still on the back burner. Piano ended up in the back room till we had an addition put on in 00’, then moved it out in the front room…that’s when I started back playing. Went to a couple of friends homes and played their pianos and I said to myself … ”self…if they can have one and their just starting, you deserve one.” MY WIFE piped up and said…’your piano’s out in the garage (read K3 Allard…not finished) DO SOMETHING WITH IT!!! So I tried to get up enough energy to finish, all the while looking at new grand pianos, but the drive to finish the Allard was gone. In my “networking” for pianos, I came across a co-worker that restores Hammond B3’s, he takes his cabinets to a Master Tech that restores pianos…took me to his shop…but I still needed the almighty $$. He also introduced me to some local talent, Mr. B- Mark Lincoln Braun and Bob Seely, both blues and boogie woogie players…I was hooked. In the spring of 05’ all the stars aligned and I found a buyer for the Allard …and the piano Master Tech that was just finishing up a restoration on a 1919 M&H A. Found the PW site while looking for piano information and have enjoyed the company ever since. Started back to lessons in Jan of 06’, trying to change my playing style.

WE do have a westie puppy named Mason. (pic tonight)


Next…

Ok, I'm 47 years old. I grew up in southern Nevada but have now lived in Pennsylvania for almost 21 years. I am a CPA but also a stay-at home mom of 10 kids, 6 boys and 4 girls, ages 4 to 24. The oldest two are married and I will soon be a grandma. Our 8th is ten years old and has Down syndrome, so that is also a whole new adventure. We also just found out she has celiac disease, so now we are learning how to feed her a gluten-free diet.

I have a wonderful husband who encourages me to develop my talents and even lets me spend money on them! I have done some photography, read a lot about nutrition, spent a couple of years teaching myself Access programming, I am involved with computer-generated pattern-making software and sewing (I designed and made my new daughter-in-law's wedding dress--complete with machine embroidery I designed, pearl beading, etc.), and now piano. I also read a lot--I love Terry Pratchett's books, Wheel of Time, Tony Hillerman, Isaac Asimov, Agatha Christie, and many others. Plus lots of non-fiction.

I played clarinet from grade school up into college. I took a couple of years of piano in high school, but did not practice much and never got out of the beginner stuff. I have always sung in church choir whereever we have lived.

Almost two years ago, our church choir director asked me to help her do her accounting (she teaches 65 piano students, plus sells Mary Kay big time). I did not want her to pay me, so she offered to teach my daughter piano. She starts the little kids out with Suzuki, so I was sitting with my daughter for all her practices. Within a few months, I asked if I could have lessons, too. I worked through Suzuki book 1 during the two weeks we drove out west for our two boys' weddings at Christmas 2004, and started lessons right after we got home. I get discouraged sometimes, but I love it! I'm looking for a new piano, hoping for a grand I like and can afford.

I mostly like classical music, don't care for jazz, like Spanish music, Scott Joplin but not much else ragtime. I loved the first recital here--I still listen to the CDs I made--and I'm glad to get to know you all a little.

Chrissi, I love the word Wombat.

Hi, my name is Louise. I live in Québec (Canada) and I speak french... Sometime I use Google to help me traduce in english so excuse my errors writing english.

I have three kids : Audrey, Camille and Justin (5, 4 and 2 years old). I work full time at Bell Canada has a report/analysis (I work with excel all day long, but I like it !)

My husband play guitar since 2 years now and he is pretty good at it. He is also writing very nice songs.

I have took piano lessons when I was young (from the age of 8-9 to 12 years old) I have won a competition at the school Vincent D'Indy at this time. I quit when I turned 13 years old and I always regret it. I always said to my self that some day I would start again to play piano and I buy an old piano in september 2004 and start my piano lessons with a new teacher and I am very proud I found her, she is really a great teacher.

Beside working 40 hours a week and taking care of my family (90% of my time !!) the rest of my time is spend on the piano...

Well, I think this is it for me !