Member Biogs, Post yours here! Options

[thouston]

After reading several really interesting posts from new members who describe themselves, their situation, their plans, etc, I thought how it would be good to have a thread where the existing members can put up a potted biography.
If you don't think it's a good idea, simply ignore this post and it will drop off the page into obscurity. If you do, then post something about yourself!

Here's mine:
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Boring stuff: Female, mid-forties, married, no children, no pets.
Location: Originally from South England. Currently living and working in North Italy.
Profession: statistician/data management.
Biggest career challenge: giving a 3 day statistics course in Inner Mongolia through an interpreter.
Nearly ditched it all in 2 years ago to become a singing teacher, but got the offer to go to Italy instead. Still have it at the back of my mind for my "final" career.

Main instrument: Voice
Dabbled in classical guitar as a teenager and got it to a reasonable level (grade 4-5 ish though never took any exams).
Keep meaning to take it up again one day. Want to play piano (would be hard to teach singing without) but haven't got very far yet (though I can play "In the Pink" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

Musical history:
Started singing in school choirs from about age 8 and never stopped. Choir member (though never soloist) all through school and Uni.
didn't sing for a year after Uni (finding jobs, moving house, blah blah).
Got into Amateur Operatics by chance (fell into conversation in a lauderette. Life's full of things like that)
Member of several companies from 1984 till I moved country.
Played in lots (lost count - more than 30) of shows, operettas and a couple of operas. Major or minor roles in a fair few of them (tend to prop up the chorus or dance in the modern shows and get something to do in the operettas/G&S)
Favourite parts: Elsie (Yeomen of the Guard), Josepha (White Horse Inn)
Also lots (double figures) of cabarets/sing for your supper/old time music hall/etc productions
Member of a quartet who entertained regularly for charity (we were a hit with all the local WI groups)
Competitions most years.
Singing lessons for approx 10 years.
Suddenly decided to do grades at the ripe old age of 40 something and did G5 theory, G8 and DipABRSM in 3 consecutive years 2003-5.
Biggest musical challenge: has to be the DipABRSM.

Since the move to Italy it's quietened down a bit. Joined a choir (back to my roots), get pulled out for the occasional solo.
Have been booked for a couple of local entertainment slots - some more beginning to creep in on the horizon as contacts widen.
Have started to give a few lessons - so far only ad hoc (hard to fit in round a full time job), to friends and not for cash. I take this as good experience for if/when I decide to do it properly.

Musical Future: After I took the Dip I thought: that's it. But I have to confess to looking longingly at the LRSM syllabus lately. Maybe in a couple of years...

[SarahSax1986]

Age: 15

I always had you down as someone much older...

Best do my own now....

Name: 'Sarah'
Age: 16
Location: Stokei-sh on Trent-ish
Instruments: Piano, Sax, Trombone, Flute.

Age:

8 - Started piano
9 - Started trombone
11 - Started Clarinet
14 - Swapped Clarinet for Sax
15 - Started flute
16 - Preparing for Grade 8 Sax, Grade 6 Piano, Grade 6 Theory

[mrbouffant]

Me

Name: Bernard Olivers-Uffant
Age: 30-something
Wives: 2
Children: Many
Location: Darn Sarf, UK
Instruments: Pf, Org, Clarinet (i.e. purchased one)

Age

7 - Started Pf lessons, sang in the church quire
10 - Started playing Org
12 - Finished Pf (gr5) and theory (gr5) and Org, left the church quire
15 - Started Pf and Org again, joined the church quire again
16 - Pf gr6, gr7 and gr8
18 - 22 University degree
24 - Married
26 - two organ lessons
28 - Unmarried
29 - kid 1, remarried
30something got me own quire and associated organ, kid 2, gr8 org
30something+1 DipABRSM, four more organ lessons, LRSM
30something+2 first half of ARCO, appointed organ scholar at Bangor Cathedral - position not taken up
30something+4 ATCL, second half of ARCO, ALCM, kid 3
30something+5 LTCL, LLCM, started OU Music MA, started clarinet lessons, finished clarinet lessons, gr6 theory
30something+6 gr7 and gr8 theory, FRSM, started singing lessons, finished singing lessons, gr8 prac mus, kid 4

Futures

Finish the MA, would love to do FLCM, FTCL and FRCO, perhaps an MMus, gr1 clarinet

Personal Credo

Never take things too seriously. Tease the pompous. Postnominals are good (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)