So you're an audiophile - are you also a musician?

Pianist since childhood, audiophile since discovering my mother's 78 rpm album (literally, in this case) of -Peter and the Wolf-. First time I saw the LP, I thought, "where did the rest of it go?."

I play guitar, first rock and since college folk, have sung in a number of folk groups and now sing in a number of choirs and small groups, principally classical but some pop and barbershop.

Raised as a baroque organist through seminary; escaped to play those great Canadian organs sprinkled around northern RI canuck parishes as a teen (weddings and funerals), then bought my first big 'ole Boston upright piana as a young adult, finally getting serious with my current Steinway B 4 years ago. So now I've migrated away from Bach and Buxtehude towards Brahms, beethoven and Schubert, with a dabbling of straight jazz. So I continuously marvel at how my "B" sounds different EVERY day because of temperature/humidity conditions: that "magic octave" in the low treble moves like a barn swallow...no wonder the Steinway techs call it the "money octave"...they live off the frequent voicings the golden ears demand!
Life could be MUCH worse! Cheers to music-making. (PS I can't dance!)

Classical violin trained - performed through college.

Royal School of Church Music-trained boy treble (St. Nicholas medalist for you RSCM alumni) but the voice didn't really survive the assault of hormones though I remain an avid choral singer to this day. Studied double reeds through grade school and university, working with Lacey Powell and Gwydion Brooke. Played with a couple of semi-major (i.e. not "top five") symphonies and did a fair bit of studio work in Nashville. Hung up my spurs years ago, though, except for occasional chamber music sessions with a few pals.

I think another fun thread would be to compare the ways in which different groups listen to music and what we listen for...professionally trained musicians versus amateur musicians versus non-musicians. I'm betting there would be significant differences.

will