Don't know if this had been suggested before but I thought it might be interesting to read a short bio of members musical life. I know I would be interested in reading about other member's musical life experiences. So to kick it off I am sending mine:

I’ve loved music all my life. A day without music is a bad day. Even as a small child I loved movie scores and I was listening to big bands, Sinatra, etc by the time I was 10. Listening was not enough. I wanted to play it. I would have loved to play piano but we couldn’t afford lessons or a piano. In my teens I discovered Jazz and Jazz Saxophonists. I became obsessed with the Tenor Sax and Coltrane, Getz, etc were my idols. At 16 I pleaded with my Dad to get Sax lessons. He relented. I took to it quickly practicing for hours every day using an old C Melody sax provided by Payne Music where I took lessons in South Philly. My teacher luckily was a Jazz musician so he schooled me on improvising and told me not to join a String Band as it would destroy my sound. Eventually my Dad bought me a used Conn 10m Tenor for $189 at 8th Street Music. I wanted a Selmer but used ones were $400-$500. Within a year I met 4 other guys in High School and we formed a band, The Jay 5, so-named because we were all named Joe. I spent the next 25 years playing every type of job: Swim Clubs, Bars, Fashion Shows, a Square Dance, many, many Weddings and New Year’s Eve events, etc. Career, Family, etc ended the group but it was fun while it lasted. I continued to play my sax but playing alone was not as interesting even with the numerous play-along tapes and CDs I had. Plus a wind instrument requires continual playing to keep in playing shape. Stop for a few months and you have to work hard to get back in playing condition. So in 2008 when I realized what I could do with modern keyboards I sold my Tenor for $450 and my classic mouthpieces (some vintage) for another $500 and bought an Arranger Keyboard. Two years later I got a Motif Workstation and now I am having wonderful musical time. I find that I enjoy improvising and composing more than just playing or covering songs and have written enough works to create 5 CDs that I share with friends and family. I also post some on sites like this as well as my own site. It amazes me every day what we can do with these keyboards. I even have a great Tenor sound on my Tyros. These keyboards (any brand) are truly magical devices and I am so happy I live in a time when they exist. It is something I could not even imagine I would have when I was that child enthralled with Max Steiner’s or Korngold’s film scores or Getz and Coltrane’s recordings. It’s a great time to be a musician.