Happy to be a part of this organization. Musician/composer by trade, but I've built furniture all my adult life, and have now 'discovered' turning after not doing so since junior high school. Mostly bowls, mostly self-taught with some online 'mentors' - Raffan, Tomislav, Matt Monaco. Record Power Coronet Herold (all I have room for). Lots of tools...
Welcome to this forum! Lots of activity, widely varying interests. I've been turning over 20 years now, learned to develop skills from books by Raffan and Mike Darlow.
For a year now my Lovely Bride of 55 years has been suggesting I take her to Toronto and other points in Canada. Also want to get up to New England again. Maybe we can somehow do both on one trip.
Great to hear about your music. I looked at your website and checked what was available for sale on Amazon and ordered - CD Beethoven, Forever by the Sea" to get an audio taste of your music. (I always buy CDs!) Any other you particularly recommend? I love classical, soft jazz, a wide variety of piano music, solo and other, strings.
Somewhat related, my accordion mentor is also my piano tuner. He saw my woodworking and asked if I could make a turning hammer to his specs, better suited for grands than others he had. I turned a ferrule from steel on my metal lathe, a handle from black&white Ebony, and repurposed the hammer hardware from one he didn't use much (turned out to be the exact hammer I had in my house!)
He used it to tune my 1980 Baldwin SF-10. Was well pleased! (Man, that instrument surprises me - after not playing for some years due to health and injuries we were amazed at how well it had stayed in tune.)
Due to a left shoulder injury and some facial reconstruction I had to give up some instruments (french horn, accordion, harmonicas, bass guitar etc) but can still play the classical guitar and just bought a used cello to see if I can handle it. But the best thing I've done in years was give away one of the lathes in my shop and put an electronic piano (with graduated weighted keys) in it's place. This is it right before the lathe left and opened up a permanent space.
The shop is climate controlled so I can play anytime, day or night, without disturbing or waking others in the house. Life is good! And shop visitors and woodturning students might get a little live music whether they want it or not.
(My passion is improvisational hymn-playing and composing short pieces just for fun.)
There have been several musicians who posted here, and probably many more who haven't. I'm certainly no professional but have played weddings (solo and with son on cello) and improv duets in the church with a friend, the most amazing trumpet player I've ever met!
JKJ
