OK - In light of a recent post that put Scott and I at opposite sides of the light sabers ... I have a great idea to promote peace and harmony. Serious now ......

OK - I'm going to ask that in THIS post - we say NOTHING negative about anyone or anything. NO exceptions. No substitutions. Do not pass GO, do not collect 200 dollars.

The topic is open to anything - musical or not .... just please - NO bad news. I'll start.

1) Fran Carango and I have been friends since the Roland Juno 106 was the rage. We met in his store in Levittown Pa, and fast developed a common thread. IN all those years .... I have never, EVER heard him use a swear word - and I've seen him get cut on saw blades, fall off ladders, and pay me real money to help him (?) in his siding & window business. His kids all stay in contact with him, he is married to the same woman he has all his kids with, and he has NEVER turned me down when I asked for help.

2) I've seen Donny(NJ) perform in his dance club, and he is in "absolute control" of the crowd. He feeds them, shmoozes them, and dances them till they can't take it anymore. He's a perfect gentleman, a consummate professional, and knows just how to please his crowd. We met through THIS forum.

3) George Kaye. What can I say about this man? He has got to be the coolest store owner I know, and I used to BE a store owner! He has welcomed me into his world, and made his store available to me from 3000 miles away. I feel like his shop is right around the corner!

4) Don Mason is a new friend that this forum made possible. From the start - we had a connection, and exchanged emails and late night phone calls over the two years I've been here. His southern charm is both imminent and infectious. I hope we get to meet in person some time real soon. Maybe when the Eagles go to the superbowl in February .............

5) Dan O'Neil was a recent meeting, but a great experience! We carpooled down to his store a few months ago to do some shopping and he literally cleared his schedule for the whole day to accommodate the 4 of us - Me, Fran, Donny & AJ. We played keys, sang songs, made deals, ate crabs, drank beer. .... what a blast! I'm tellin ya man.......... We had a day and a half that afternoon!

6) Scott Yee and I are very much alike. (That's NOT negative !!!)
WE have a passion for the music, the gear, the career and the people. It's a part of who we are. We've only spoken on the phone a few times, but I feel that we have definitely formed a bond. If there is a little friction now & then, it's because we may be like two chefs in the same small kitchen. There will always be room for different opinions among friends ....... hey - I live with 4 women - I am always out of the loop! I welcome Scott's friendship, and respect his passion for music.

* * * I can't single out each of you at this time, but as a "blanket hug" let me say that this forum is a big part of my day. My life is on overload at the moment, but I make a few moments each day ( a few times a day!) to check in with the world, as I call it. I look forward to the exchange of ideas and humor, and I miss it when I don't read everyday.

Please share some positive thoughts you have about others that you know on the forum so we can see each other through the eyes of someone close to them. This can only bring us to a better understanding of why we have the opinions we do, and may make it easier to "read behind the lines" as we read the words. Typing is so cold and abstract - it's easy to miss the real meaning behind the letters.

OK campers - say something nice!

I still like you Uncle Dave

There's another prince ! Frank is a model of patience and trusting. He bought a VA7 from me that had a defective circuit, and the screen was impossible to see ! Imagine the level of trust he extended to me to honor the warrentee and take care that the unit would be put back to normal? We stayed in contact for a few months as we waited for Roland to make the part he needed available, and as soon as it came in - I shipped it to him, he put it in and VOILA ! The VA came to life ! Another happy ending.
Frankie's a good guy, for sure.

I occasionally find myself at the opposite end of the spectrum on some topics, mostly I think because playing music has for almost all of my life been such a passion for me. Because it is such a passion, occasionally I can be a bit hard headed about it...must be that..can't be because I'm Sicilian can it?..lol. Still, I am grateful for EVERYONE here.

I was glad to see Boo put up a post recently. He and I shared a few colorful disagreements on this forum but I like him a lot just the same and have even exchanged emails with him on a few occasions.

I was equally glad to see DanO come back and post. I had the opportunity to talk with him on the phone a while back when I was looking for a case for my PA80, and I really enjoyed the conversation.

Ditto to you UD..glad you are still around here. I like to read guys like you and DNJ, especially when you share about your wealth of experience as working musicians / entertainers. It is an aspect of music that I still care about deeply but rarely particiapte in any longer. Philly is one of my favorite cities to visit btw...so someday maybe we can meet or better yet maybe I'll get to see an Uncle Dave show.

As for George Kaye..I can only WISH his store wasn't so far away. I'd have a blast and would be happy to visit and buy from him.
He helped me out a lot last Spring when I was befuddled by my somewhat cranky MZ2000.

Squeak D and I have regularly exchanged emails and ideas about arrangers and music in general. He and I sort of learned our MZ2000s together and eventually replaced them..lol

Scott has been a great source of information here at the forum, and in emails back and forth as well. He is very detail oriented and so good at explaining stuff. For me, I can only wish that I could explain things in such a manner.

DonM,

Its been good sharing our experiences and likes and dislikes about our boards here. I get a chuckle out of the humorous stuff that you throw out there as well.

There are so many others out there as well, and I would write two pages if I mention all of you, but thanks to everyone for sharing this bond and wealth of knowledge. For the past few years, thanks in great part to reading this forum and everything else that Synthzone itself has to offer, I have gained a good bit of knowledge about modern equipment and applying it to my playing. I have also been able to learn about and acquire tools that I may have otherwise never known existed. Thank You all,

AJ

Where shall I start?……

Uncle Dave....In my 30+ yrs. of being a professional entertainer I have met a lot of people in my travels. But about a 1 ½ ago on this very forum I met Uncle Dave and to tell you he is just a very good friend would be an understatement. Besides enjoying each other's company as friends and working musicians, I think we have learned from each other in so many ways. Seeing each other perform, comparing technique, and sharing ideas has made me a better performer for sure. His knowledge of all aspects of the business is unsurpassed, and his helpfulness when needed is something I will always appreciate. Dave is always there to help no matter what the task.

Fran Carango…..I met Fran on the forum and in person at Uncles Dave's studio. We became good friends and he has helped me many many times with his vast knowledge of Computer Music Programs, Sequenced Song Editing, Styles Conversion and everything else in between for which I am truly grateful. His sense of humor always puts a smile on my face.

Prince AJ….I met here on the forum and we exchanged ideas on the X1. We talked on the phone when I needed help with the Solton unit. I also had the pleasure of meeting Prince AJ and spent the day together on our trip to Dan O's Music store in Maryland. I enjoyed hob nobbing with Royalty and learning about life in his native country of Cameroon.

Dan O….We made friends on the forum and on the phone when I had my X1. His X1 video was very informative and made my learning curve a lot easier. In person at his store in MD ( "Guitar Center") Dan was the perfect host and made our trip extra special. He expertly demonstrated the SD-1 with some help from AJ and later on took us to a great dinner featuring the biggest and most delicious Steamed Crabs I ever had. Dan's hospitality was much appreciated.

Don M…. Was my first forum friend. I purchased a KN5000 from him and ever since we have remained in contact by phone and emails. Don has always been there for me when I needed help. He is a true professional.

Scott Yee… My West Coast friend. We have talked by phone and email many times about keyboards, styles, and music in general. Scott is very resourceful and always makes very interesting posts, which help us all. I also enjoyed his website which gave me a chance to put one of my songs on it, and also to see pictures of Scott performing at certain gigs.

I know alomg the way I will meet more great people. This forum is a great place to exchange thoughts and make friends within this thing of ours called MAKING MUSIC!

take care

Donny nj

Here is my two cents.

I'll buy both of your books, U.D.'s and Scotts. For me this forum has been great. I'm still trying to break away from the Big Band rut I've been in for 30 years.

I appreciate all of you folks and I can't think of everyone and everything but here goes.

Don Mason - What a guy! He has bent over backward to help me and be a friend. He even let me take his X1 off his hands. I really hope to someday meet him in person.

U.D. - His posts and email responses have been extreemly helpful in all areas from equipment to performance. I think he encourages all of us to be the best we can be with our music. We must never feel that we don't have to learn new songs or continue to improve our performances. I know some of you will disagree but when I had my PSR740 U.D. told me it was OK for a home keyboard but there were better arrangers for the professional. He was exactly right. I'm glad that he has the resources to test out all the new stuff for us. U.D. I'm glad you are back.

Fran - What a great guy. He has always been willing to share with us. If a new set of styles appear, Fran has always converted them and made them available to this forum. I wish Fran would share more of his career and experiences with the group. Fran you are too quiet.

I wish I lived in the Philly/NJ area so I could meet and hear U.D., Fran, and Donny.
I would also have a better selection of sports teams to watch and enjoy. Do any of you know how hard it is to be a Lions fan?
At least we had the 1984 Tigers and the good years with the Pistons.

Scott - Your posts are always helpful both in the equipment and performance area. You have also gone the extra mile to be helpful and encouraging. From last years NAMM report to all the things you can do on the 2000 I'd like to thank you for your efforts. I just wish you would get a X1. That way I'd learn about all the cool things you discovered about it.

DanO - I met you last summer at NAMM. I wish there had been more time. Thank you for your contributions both to the forum and me personally. I'm glad you are back. There is a new Guitar Center opening in Grand Rapids this thursday. How about a transfer to Michigan?

Donny - Thank you for keeping all this stuff in perspective. You seem to be able to seperate the hype from reality. You didn't sell your 9000 and buy a 2000 because you knew that it wasn't just as good. If I ever move to a Yammie it will be because you have owned both and prefer the 9000.

George Kaye - George it is too bad that I'm in Michigan. Your willingness to help, good recommendations, and product knowledge are unsurpassed. You deserve to sell a million arranger keyboards at full markup.

AJ - He has worked so hard to make all of us Solton owners better that I can't begin to thank him enough. Thank you for your work with the Ketron products. The new vocalizer settings have been great.

Mr Bulk - thank you for setting up the site where we can post our music. Keep up the composing. It only takes one hit to make it big.

There are sooooo many others that mean a great deal to me. Here is the list:

My Dutch friends Roel, John Smies, FreddyNL. My Dutch relatives tell me that "If you're not Dutch you're not much".

Boo - glad to see a recent post from you.

Notlos, Squeak, Bluesplayer, Linda, Stevazard, mdorantes, Dreamer, Beakybird, Rodrigues, Nobby, mdorantes, Dreamer, ChicoBrasil and all the others.

Thank you all.

OK boys, thaks for all these nice words!

Great idea, Dave,
I didn't plan to do anything today but try to get well, but I can't resist this topic. Got a celestone shot and some really good drugs yesterday, so that should help.
I'm not certain even where to begin. I've been a member of this forum since it started in the old format and there have been so many good associations made here.
Bob Gelman, who started the PSR Styles and Songs groups, was one of my first contacts, and we remain in contact today, although he is so busy moderating his forums that he doesn't contribute as much here. He is always ready to help anybody and at any time.
New Jersey Donny has been a friend for several years. We exchange emails and phone calls all the time, and I'm looking forward to a visit from him SOON.
Boo, a transplated Cajun, wasting away in Colorado. An excellent sax player and an excellent person. I had the pleasure of hosting Boo and his wife Penny (how did he ever get her?) in Louisiana last year, and look forward to their visit again this year.
Tom C. has a wonderful dry sense of humor. I was able to unload, I mean sacrifice, my beloved X1 on, I mean to, him. I almost got to meet him at the Nashville NAMM show last year but had to cancel my plans to attend. Maybe this year.
I first "met" the Prince on the Solton user group. He is extremely knowledgeable, always ready to help, and I understand can even perform marriages if he wants to.
Frank and I have corresponded quite a bit. He bought the PA80 that I bought from Uncle Dave. At least it's still in the family. If it were not for a mutual trust, the deal wouldn't have been completed because of some banking mix-ups. Then I left out the power cable and had to send it seperately. He never got it (9-11-01 problems??), so I sent another one. I ain't sendin' no more Frank--hope you got that one! (I do have the shipping receipts.)
Comalite, probably the most knowledgeable computer person I've ever known, actually lives near me. He is an infrequent contributor, but when he says something, you can write it down, because he is the expert.
Don't ask him what time it is, because he will tell you how to build a clock, and give you full details as to who built the first one, and when time actually originated. Seriously, he is always ready to help on the intricate, computer-music related subjects. A great, knowledgeable guy.
Scott Yee--Lord I wish I had his youth and enthusiasm. How could he be anything but successful? If I were as organized as Scott, you all might be calling me Mr. President (on second thought, I'd rather be a musician!). He will dig at the roots of a problem until he finds an answer, and then he is always more than willing to share it with us. We have exchanged phone calls, emails, programs and ideas. A good friend.
DanO--Another friend I first met on the Solton group. He will take the time to help you if you ask. He will even sell you a Yamaha, against his better judgement! I have referred a few people to him, and he has taken good care of them.
George Kaye--like everyone else, I wish I lived nearer to him. I would probably ask him if I could work in his store. Is there another dealer in the world who actually SPECIALIZES in arranger keyboards. I'll bet he can't wait to get to work every day. He has helped me many times and I've never bought anything from him. I do tell a lot of people where to go though. No pun intended.
Fran C.--I don't know him as well as some of the other members, but he has taken the time to send me info and is our resident Roland expert. I will come up there and see Fran, Donny, AJ, and of course Uncle Music, before I go to the big dance hall in the sky.
Ah, Uncle Dave--what can you say. We have so much in common, yet are quite different in our playing styles. He actually can play with both hands. And he has a voice like I only wish I had. We've spent many a night together, unwinding after the gig, even though we've never met in person.
I know, I'll certainly leave some people out, blame it on the fever.
Among my newer friends: Pierce always has a different perspective on almost everything. I would love to meet him, as I feel he is a wise person who has dealt with many of life's situations.
Nobby--I love him. He is an old goat like I am, but is not afraid to tackle the new gear and new ideas.
John Smies, an extremely talented musician, an another friend who is always ready to help.

Mr. Bulk, a great songwriter and lucky enough to live in Hawaii. He directed me to the songwriters forum, and it is a good one. Keep up the good work.
Roel: Also met him a long time ago on the old Technics Canada forum. A wonderful person who knows a lot and is willing to share.
Denny (don't you still love the 9000 Pro) is always there when you need him and is now getting into making CD's. Put me on the list, pal.
How about Linda? She's gone through so much in the past year. I hope we've helped her as much as she has helped us. An inspiration to go on with life and always move forward.
If I write about everybody, I would have to join the list of those making books.
There is Mark, the "other AJ", JimJamJamie(one of our newest members who will certainly be a valuable contributor), Carlos, Mario, Notlos, Squeak, mdorantes, Beakybird, Rodrigues, ChicoBrasil and all the others.
The list is too long. I reserve the right to remember somebody else after while.
Can't close without mentioning Nigel, who does such an excellent job moderating this group (but I'll bet it's one of the easier groups to moderate), and Chris, who started it all.
I love you guys. If I were a drinking person, you could even have my Bud Lite.
Don

Now you've done it...I'm gettin' all misty.
Man...where's a handkerchief when you wnat one??

I'm a newbe to this forum so I don't know anyone personally. I do find it to be the most responsive and friendly BBS I've tried yet. Dave you have responded to my Q's more than once (I think) and I've learned from them. The more I hear about you, you and I are pretty similar. I am a guitarist and am in the process of working in some keyboards (did it before, abandoned it, and doing it again). I started with a Juno-106 years ago. After I went solo after this and that trial and error I ended up using Minidisc's with my show. I decided recently to start transferring them to MP3's and WMA's and bought a laptop and.. an ESP travelmate PCMCIA midi interface (haven't used or even installed it yet). When I moved my songs from Minidisc to the computer I also made copies to CD, just in case, but I also use these on stage. I used to just use an Alesis DataDisk and play the midi files But it was too fragile and broke one too many times. I play a lot of my songs just solo on the acoustic and love it. To keep them really dancing though, and to compete with the myriad of DJ's and work-for-next-to-nothing bands out there I need to rock out too. I never did own a store but I bet I have enough old equipment to start the seed of one. (Gee I hope some of that doesn't qualify as a negative... it's just the truth!)
Also Scottielee (others too) has answered my Q's before and it's helped me learn, which is what a BBS should do. I've tried my best to answer some others questions as best I could , just to give back.
I've got an order in for a keyboard right now and will look forward to the challenge of working it in (again) to my act. After I pay off my daughters college fund this year, I'll probably be in the market for yet another one. And another acoustic guitar, and a mandolin, and a some more percussion, and... and... and...