I began playing violin when I was five. I played through high school, but wasn't all that good, probably because I didn't practice much. I stopped playing for a few years, but started taking it seriously midway through college. I bought a beautiful new violin the summer before my senior year in college, and paid it off after three years. In graduate school I got to play in several chamber groups, as it turned out our department had several musicians in it. I also played in summer orchestra one year. I would love to play regularly again, so if anyone out there in the northern New Mexico area wants to play, please email me!
I also figured out how to sing while in graduate school, and sang with a good church choir for several years.
Currently I direct a youth choir, recently started a handbell choir, and sometimes sing in an adult choir. I also sometimes play in the community orchestra.
I also enjoy listening to music. I used to make tapes off the radio when I was 5 or so, and still have a few. I grew up listening to rock and roll, later learned to like classical (helpful for a violinist...), and more recently have gotten strongly into jazz. I sure do listen to a lot of jazz these days -- I'd even like to learn to improvise on piano -- so email me if you want to talk some jazz, or suggest some stuff for me to listen to, or, heck, talk about any good music.
Finally, I became interested in music composition a few years back. I wrote a composition program for my computer, and have used it to write several tunes. Composition is really unexplored territory for me, but very enjoyable -- a different kind of problem solving than usual. Please email me if you want to talk composition, too! :)