About CMG's contributors!

Post by **Lance** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:06 pm

At this moment, 379 lookers and only 49 respondents. Please don't be reluctant CMGers. You will find these most interesting and it will place you in closer association to these many people we talk with on an almost daily basis. Please keep 'em coming!

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:19 pm

Lance wrote:At this moment, 379 lookers and only 49 respondents. Please don't be reluctant CMGers. You will find these most interesting and it will place you in closer association to these many people we talk with on an almost daily basis. Please keep 'em coming!

C'MON, Lance. Don't you really feel you'd be better off living in blissful ignorance of who we really are?!?

Post by **Lance** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:46 pm

Why ... why, not at all! I love people, love talking with them. People are the most fascinating objects in the world! It's really uplifting to get to know people, truly. I kid you not!

Wallingford wrote:
Lance wrote:At this moment, 379 lookers and only 49 respondents. Please don't be reluctant CMGers. You will find these most interesting and it will place you in closer association to these many people we talk with on an almost daily basis. Please keep 'em coming!
C'MON, Lance. Don't you really feel you'd be better off living in blissful ignorance of who we really are?!?

arglebargle · Post by **arglebargle** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 8:34 pm

ok ok:

- male
- arglebargle, whatever they like
- Canada
- no
- no
- I have a modest CD collection but am primarily an online person, iTunes etc.
- no
- I like early and chamber music and find most (but not all) orchestral music ponderous, labored, overbearing, and fundamentally unnecessary... there, I said it.

cheers

unagi · Post by **unagi** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:06 pm

Hello all,

After a few weeks of lurking, it's time to introduce myself:

I'm a 31 y.o. male from Paris, France. Some friends & family call me "caou" (or kaoute or other variations) but I don't use it in English speaking circles, because the pronounciation is close to "cow". (Hmm, I should move to India).
I've never studied music theory and I'm not a practicing musician; I did take lessons of classical guitar in my Junior HS days, but never made much use of them.
Collector? No: my grand collection totals ~80 CDs... Split in:
Early/Renaissance music: ~5
Baroque: ~30
Classical: ~10
Romantic/19th century: ~20
Early 20th: ~15
Contemporary: 3-4
Plus HMF's anniversary box (a delight) and the complete Beethoven set from Brilliant.

I've recently started to listen to 'classical' music again, at first through my discovery of the Matthaus Passion -which led me to follow the weekly listening program of bach-cantatas.com-, then I took the plunge into Beethoven's piano sonatas. Now I'm revisiting sections of my little CD collection, I explore the HMF set and try to expand my musical horizons (through streaming websites such as deezer and jiwa).

I'll add that I'm utterly impressed by your collections and knowledge! Needless to say, I won't be able to bring anything to the table but beginners' questions!

Glad to be here,
unagi

TopoGigio · Post by **TopoGigio** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:22 pm

Lance wrote:People are the most fascinating objects in the world!

mmm...Im bafffffled..with your words,,,with distance,men and their
cities are as ants around a dead dog...

(TheDarkSideOfTopo)

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:22 pm

unagi wrote:I'll add that I'm utterly impressed by your collections and knowledge! Needless to say, I won't be able to bring anything to the table but beginners' questions!

Glad to be here,
unagi

Welcome to our little Virtual Village, post often and ask questions, we love answering questions...

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:54 pm

unagi wrote:Hello all,

After a few weeks of lurking, it's time to introduce myself:

Welcome to the site, Caou (the keyboard don't care how it's pronounced - folks have a hard time with my name too, pronounced KOR-liss, because the -y- throws them).

Kick your shoes off and set a spell.

Early/Renaissance music: ~5
Baroque: ~30

Well, it's a place to start . . . What are they?

Post by **Lance** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:20 pm

Unagi! You made to our site! Good for you. I hope I was a good "convincer" in getting you on board!

val · Post by **val** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:51 am

• are male or female [it's hard to tell by sign-on names!] Male.
• sign-on name AND what do your friends call you? A little more than val.
• what country you reside in. Portugal.
• study music - if so what instrument. Piano.
• are a performing/practicing musician. Just an amateur.
• collect records [CDs or LPs] Yes.
• are a composer or teacher. No.No.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:14 am

unagi wrote:Hello all,

After a few weeks of lurking, it's time to introduce myself:
I'll add that I'm utterly impressed by your collections and knowledge! Needless to say, I won't be able to bring anything to the table but beginners' questions!

Glad to be here,
unagi

Welcome unagi.

This is a great site for one who is developing an interest in and expanding one's knowledge of Classical music. I have bought dozens of CDs on the strength of recommedations made here. Don't be afraid to ask questions no matter how basic they may seem to you. You will be treated with courtesy as long as you stay away from the Pub.

absinthe · Post by **absinthe** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:17 am

unagi wrote:Hello all,

After a few weeks of lurking, it's time to introduce myself:
.............

I'll add that I'm utterly impressed by your collections and knowledge! Needless to say, I won't be able to bring anything to the table but beginners' questions!

Glad to be here,
unagi

From me, hello there! I joined for the same reason after lurking for a while. Here's hoping you enjoy your time here....

Robinland · Post by **Robinland** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 3:07 pm

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Post by **Lance** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:40 pm

Thank you, ROBIN, for setting the record straight! I still

.

Robinland wrote:Well..I could start this out like the e e cummings poem..hello, im nobody..
the older I get the more I realize the insignificance of anything I have ever done, how little I know, how few my accomplishments are...• are male or female [female for sure!]
• sign-on name: Robinland: My name is usually Robin
• what country--I am in Greenville, SC, USA...
• study music - violin
• are a performing/practicing musician: I used to perform some years ago in a few different SMALL orchestras in SC and VA (nothing impressive) some community theaters, and worked a little bit in Nashville (again, NOTHING IMPRESSIVE) The more I play the more I have determined I am essentially talentless, but I do love violin and I DO work hard.
• collect records [CDs or LPs] CDs..I have lots of albums but I don't listen to them anymore
• are a composer or teacher I am experimenting a bit with composing
• said anything else you might like us to know about you-I also write short stories, just had one published in the Clinch Valley Review...I paint some..I am talentless at that too but I enjoy it. I worked for many years as a National Makeup Artist for some of the major cosmetic companies,.mainly Ultima II, CHR (before they went defunt) and Lancome
I have two super model dogs, black and tan long haired doxies, Sofie and Chloe...they are incredible. I am now home with Trigeminal Neuralgia for which I take massive doses of Topomax causing me to sometimes lose my word...or spell things backwards...I was an English Lit. major so it is not due to total stupidity...it is just the Stup-O-Max. Please overlook! There are days I cannot spell my own street name!

Post by **Lance** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:41 pm

Thank you, ROBIN, for setting the record straight! I still

.

Robinland · Post by **Robinland** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:59 pm

xxxxxxxx

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:38 pm

Chalkperson wrote:
unagi wrote:I'll add that I'm utterly impressed by your collections and knowledge! Needless to say, I won't be able to bring anything to the table but beginners' questions!

Glad to be here,
unagi
Welcome to our little Virtual Village, post often and ask questions, we love answering questions...

*****

ABSOLUTELY!!!

SueCan · Post by **SueCan** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:48 pm

Okay, I'll bite. I'm writing to help balance the preponderance of testosterone on this thread (said lovingly of course). My apologies if this short bio repeats what you might know about me, but Lance is pretty persuasive!

sign-on name: SueCan (I think ... I rather forget). My friends call me Sue when they're being nice. Or Hammie, Suuzala ... whatever comes into their minds. What's in a name?...

• what country--Toronto, Canada

• study music - piano, some vocal

• are you a performing/practicing musician: Increasingly, yes. Two years ago, I kind of blitzed out on too many concerts (for me) in Napa, Germany, Toronto, Binghamton, and sundry other places. The whole experience made me want to go back to basics again and develop an even better SOUND and explore more repertoire. It's been a great 18 months, and I'll be ready to perform again this spring.

I'm always interested in people's training. Mine was at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto and with Greta Kraus (a Canadian "treasure). I played all of Book I WTC at the 1985 Washington Bach competition (memorized with a one year-old under the piano. WHAT an experience that was!) Previously at London's Royal College of Music for organ and harpsichord, followed by intense personable lessons with Karl Ulrich Schnabel in Menaggio and New York. More recently, I've come to appreciate rhythm, refinement, and orchestral color in piano through John Covelli and technical basics through Lawrence Pitchko in Toronto (he from the Maria Curzio, Kentner schools abroad).

Oh yes, along the way, I made ten CDs of Classical Kids and raised two delightful daughters now in your fair country in San Francisco. My husband is endlessly patient and enthusiastic about my curious life in music -- about which I am NUTS! Fortunately, he writes in his study to classical music which is where I hear most music beyond my fascinated practising down on the first floor. Lovely Steinway B.

• collect records [CDs or LPs] CDs..No, though 'friends' have been generous opening my ears to great performances on CDs. I probably have about 300 CDs. Yeah, yeah, not impressive in this group!

• are a composer or teacher. I teach or coach pianists going into competitions or for auditions. Someday I'd like to compose, but suspect I won't be very good at it.

• anything else you might like us to know about you- I love to travel and take pictures because photography uses the same elements of form, color, proportions, and even 'voicing' as piano. It seems I'm incapable of just taking in something -- I have to DO it! I love to write, and might someday finish a serious, extensive book on piano. I sing in a Choir. I love dinner parties where everybody doesn't talk over each over (!) so the conversation 'lifts' as a group. I love to laugh. Heck, I'm a Leo!

Post by **Lance** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:03 pm

My, my - people are really curious about this thread. We've had 571 hits on this thread and only a little more than a 10% response rate as of 1:15 a.m. EDT, October 14th, 2008. That's not a very good showing. Please admit that you're reading these responses and are already feeling a closer connection to your fellow CMGers who have responded. We are even finding out who is male and female, and we're getting real names to call our friends here. So, please join in if you haven't already! And thanks to those who have contributed.

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:21 am

Robinland wrote: I am now home with Trigeminal Neuralgia

What a coincidence! I heard about that for the first time a few months ago. Colleen (Madame in the Pub) has a friend with it. Excruciatingly painful, from what I hear. You're brave.

barney · Post by **barney** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:38 am

Lance wrote:My, my - people are really curious about this thread. We've had 571 hits on this thread and only a little more than a 10% response rate as of 1:15 a.m. EDT, October 14th, 2008. That's not a very good showing. Please admit that you're reading these responses and are already feeling a closer connection to your fellow CMGers who have responded. We are even finding out who is male and female, and we're getting real names to call our friends here. So, please join in if you haven't already! And thanks to those who have contributed.

Well, I'm responsible for one contribution and about 5 hits, as it keeps getting updated. I'm probably not alone.

Robinland · Post by **Robinland** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:45 am

.xxxxx

unagi · Post by **unagi** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:39 pm

Thanks all for your warm welcome!

Sean wrote: This is a great site for one who is developing an interest in and expanding one's knowledge of Classical music. I have bought dozens of CDs on the strength of recommedations made here. Don't be afraid to ask questions no matter how basic they may seem to you. You will be treated with courtesy as long as you stay away from the Pub.

I'm sure you're right! I'll have to control my bulimia though, otherwise my wallet will take up levitation: I've never spent as much on classical music as I did since September (two boxes + 2 orders of 4 Cds). So I think I'll resort to internet ressources for a while...By the way, you can find FLAC files of recordings whose copyrights have expired here:
http://www.i12.ch/musiqueouverte/index. ... utafficher

Corlyss_D wrote:
Early/Renaissance music: ~5
Baroque: ~30
Well, it's a place to start . . . What are they?

Cant de la Sibila - Montserrat Figueras - La Capella Reial – Savall
Chant de l'Eglise de Rome – période byzantine - Ensemble Organum - Marcel Peres
Chant de l'Eglise de Milan - Ensemble Organum - Marcel Peres
Ubi Caritas - Chant grégorien de l'abbaye de Timadeuc
Chant grégorien, le Chant du Silence
Le Choeur de la Radio-Télévision de Saint Petersbourg (XVI-XX Russian Orthodox Liturgical Songs)
A best of Alirio Diaz
Vivaldi - several concerti grosso [edit: concerti grossi?]
Vivaldi - Gloria - Beatus Vir - Magnificat - Corboz
Schein - Israelis Brunnlein - Herreweghe
Purcell - Come Ye Sons of Art - Rejoice in the Lord always - My beloved spake - Welcome to all the pleasures - Deller
Charpentier - Motet pour l'offertoire de la Messe Rouge and other motets - Herreweghe
Bach:
French Suites - Leonhardt
Goldberg variations - Gould 55 & 81; Scott Ross
Cello Suites, Gendron
The Art of Fugue: André Isoir (Organ); Musica Antiqua Köln, Goebel,
Concertos for Piano & Orchestra BWV 1055, 1056, 1058, Golschman & Columbia SO with Gould
Karl Richter Sacred Masterpieces set: SMP, SJP, Christmas Oratorio, Magnificat, Mass in B Minor
Cantatas:
21 & 42; 56, 82 & 158 (for solo bass), Herreweghe
140, 147, Gardiner; Harnoncourt
105, 179, 186, Suzuki

There are some that I've rarely spinned (eg Schein, Purcell..)

And I haven't listened to all of it yet, but the HMF box features (excluding short works):

Couperin: Mass for parishers / "Covarrubias Concerto for Organ"
Muffat: Apparatus Musico-Organisticus
Purcell: King Arthur
Chant de l'Eglise de Rome: Messe de Saint Marcel / HvBingen: Chants for the feast of St ursula
Dufay: Isorythmic motets
Bach: SMP
Bach: The Art of Fugue
Lully: Atys
Marin Marais: "La Gamme"
Telemann: Trauer Cantata / Jean-Henry D'Anglebert: Pieces for clavichord
Lord Herbert of Cherbury: Lute Book
Banchieri: Barca di Venetia per Padova / Telemann: "La Bizarre" / A.L. Couperin: Symphony for clavichord / Schobert: Quatuor
Keiser: Croesius
Biber: Rosary sonatas / Vivaldi: Stabat Mater

PS: Lance & Corlyss: if you feel that the list clutters the thread, feel free to move it (I tried the "Hide" tag).

Post by **Lance** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:30 pm

Not at all, Unagi! It's the graphics that sometimes cause us problems. Looks like you have a lot of grand listening ahead!

unagi wrote:Thanks all for your warm welcome! {snipped} PS: Lance & Corlyss: if you feel that the list clutters the thread, feel free to move it (I tried the "Hide" tag).

Jack Kelso · Post by **Jack Kelso** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:36 am

My birth certificate shows me as "John" but I prefer Jack, and was born in Los Angeles. Everyone here in Germany calls me "Jack" (or "Schaak" or "Tscheek"), depending on how familiar they are with Anglo-Saxon names. Oh, yes---I'm a 66-year old MAN, still working 20 hours a week for the European Division of the University of Maryland (we educate the U.S. troops).

I'm getting married this coming Tuesday to the lovliest woman I've ever met---my Heidi, who loves great music nearly as much as I do. We've been together almost seven years. Her cousin is the widow of Swiss composer-teacher-organist Hans-Rudolf Johner.

Our music collection consists of CDs and self-recorded (from radio, CD's, records) cassette tapes. We listen to everything from Handel to Hindemith, Vivaldi to Villa-Lobos....and occasionally beyond. Our heavy concentration is Handel, J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann (in chronological order, of course!).

Just love seafood---oysters, mackeral, the works. Also pizza and steaks. And garlic and onions, beer, wine and an occasional schnapps. I'm an Aries.

Raised a strict Roman Catholic (Heidi, too!) and took 3 years of piano lessons. I was a precocious listener, beginning at three years of age with Richard Strauss, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev ("Peter and the Wolf", natch).

I'm an avid and strong (but decently modest) tournament chessplayer in the Schwetzingen club and surrounding area. I also love analyzing games and openings.

We live in Seckenheim, a suburb of Mannheim. Plenty of concerts all over the place---Heidelberg, Schwetzingen, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Frankfurt, etc.

Well, that's a mini-biography for you!

Tschüß!
Jack

Kuhlau · Post by **Kuhlau** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:19 am

Robinland wrote: ... the older I get the more I realize the insignificance of anything I have ever done, how little I know, how few my accomplishments are ...

Believe me, Robin, you are not alone in this.

FK

Post by **Lance** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:24 pm

I hate to simply let this thread disappear into the ether. This was a most interesting thread to me. Please, if you haven't participated, it would be nice if you did!

Werner · Post by **Werner** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:49 pm

How can I let that challenge by Lance go unanswered? But what can I tell you that you don't already know?

Music? well, I've lived with it since childhood - and as some here will tell you, that's a long time ago. Studied the piano, had the great fortune to know some significant artists who gave me my love of the piano and much of its literature (Adrian Aeschbacher), and provided the example of brilliance, depth, and spirituality (Hungerford.)

Decided long ago that I didn't have it for music as a profession - but not before I made one LP record of four works about which I wanted tio have my say, and I'm still glad I did. British pianist Andrew Wilde and Lance did me the great favor of transferring it to modern technology, so now I've even got my own CD!

Of course, recordings have been of interest for me right along, and over the years I've built acollection which - though nowhere near the scope of some of our large-scale collectors, reflects my tastes and preferences. I've stopped adding to it years ago, but still get tempted occasionally.

Work, career, and family have taken up the rest of my life, on which I look back gratefully. Donald, who is no stranger to CMG, and his brother Norman, who lives with his family upstate and has not visited CMG much, but is the other star in our family life - not forgetting their mother, who keeps up with all this and much more, complete the family picture, whom some of you know well.

And then there are all the interesting people one meets in the Pub - enough to keep one thinking, right?

So, Lance, here is an answer - and a word of appreciation to you for introducing me to CMG, as well as you AND Corlyss, for giving us this forum. All praise to you!

Post by **Lance** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:17 pm

Thank you, Werner, for this fine biographical sketch. Those of you who know Werner, his lovely wife Charlotte, and their pianist son, Donald, already know what a wonderful family they are!

violinland · Post by **violinland** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:45 am

It would be nice to know if you:

• are male or female [it's hard to tell by sign-on names!] - Male
• sign-on name AND what do your friends call you? - violinland Cheniston
• what country you reside in - UK
• study music - if so what instrument - Violin and some gramophone
• are a performing/practicing musician - Yes
• collect records [CDs or LPs] - Yes (Cylinders, 78s, Reel to Reel, Cassettes. and 16" Transcrition discs)
• are a composer or teacher - Lecturer
• said anything else you might like us to know about you - I have contributed to many books on the violin and music, am also involved in Medical research on Paganini and the effect Marfan's syndrome had on his ability to perform feats on the violin which would be impossible for others. Very much enjoy my Internet activities The Internet is the latter day Library at Alexandria for me at least. High on my list is my involvement with GMG.

PS I would also like to see more people make use of their profile, so that we may have a permanent record of who is and who does what. At the moment most profiles contain very little information.

Kuhlau · Post by **Kuhlau** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:15 am

For those who haven't heard our very own violinland talk learnedly and with good humour about the violin, its history and some of its greatest exponents, may I suggest they join his (spoken) discussions over at CMG Chat? For those in the UK, 9pm onwards tonight would be a good time to log in.

I joined in the discussion last night (you can type, use video or speak using a microphone) and heard some fascinating music from violinland's collection, as well as learned a thing or two. This new 'addition' to this forum certainly deserves the support of its membership.

FK

diegobueno · Post by **diegobueno** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 12:18 pm

Lance wrote: It would be nice to know if you:

• are male or female [it's hard to tell by sign-on names!]
• sign-on name AND what do your friends call you?
• what country you reside in
• study music - if so what instrument
• are a performing/practicing musician
• collect records [CDs or LPs]
• are a composer or teacher
• said anything else you might like us to know about you

Now, is this a good idea?

Diegobueno; real name: Mark G. Simon
I'm a U.S. Male, 'cause I was born in a Massachusetts town on a Sunday morn...

oops

Professional clarinetist and composer. You can find more about me at my website http://www.markgsimon.com
I have a fair amount of CDs and LPs from over the years. But I am by no means a collector.
For many years I lived in Ithaca, New York, where I got graduate degrees in music at Ithaca College and Cornell University. Like many people who go there, I opted to stay in Ithaca. I worked as the music cataloger at the Cornell University Library, I taught clarinet at the Community School of Music and Arts, I was the classical music critic for the Ithaca Times. I played in a number of the local orchestras and ensembles.

Then I decided it was time to move to a bigger pond, so I married former CMG poster Owlice and moved down to the Washington DC area.

If you live in the area, you can hear me play my Anniversary Sonata in a program of music at the Women's Club of Chevy Chase on November 25, 2008 at 11:00 AM.

stenka razin · Post by **stenka razin** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 4:40 pm

• are male or female [it's hard to tell by sign-on names!]
Male

• sign-on name AND what do your friends call you?
Stenka Razin is my nickname here, but my friends refer to as Mel.
Please use Mel and let's stop using the 'stinky raisin'.

• what country you reside in
USA

• study music - if so what instrument
Piano and trombone.

• are a performing/practicing musician
No

• collect records [CDs or LPs]
Had a huge collection of LPs and donated them to a music school.
Have a vast number of CDs all separated by label and then by
composer. I know where every CD I have is located in my house.
My cataloguing system resembles a library.

• are a composer or teacher
Retired educator and librarian.

• said anything else you might like us to know about you
I love my wife of 40+ years, my children and my many grandchildren
very deeply. Classical music has gotten me through some very
tough times in life because of very serious illnesses.

living_stradivarius · Post by **living_stradivarius** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:59 am

I grabbed this from something I wrote a few years ago; it's still relevant, but perhaps my writing style has changed since then.

Albert Einstein once said, "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music... I get most joy in life out of music." For thirteen years of my life, I dedicated my mental and emotional passion to music, but only five years ago did I begin to investigate Einstein's parallel thinking, transforming passion into ambition. From this investigation I obtained a glimpse of what I thought would be my path towards true happiness. With eight to nine hours of practice and listening each day, I began to learn violin pieces I once thought were out of my reach. I could not believe how much I was absorbing in relatively such little time. For the first time I understood the exhilaration Heifetz, Midori, Milstein, Perlman, Shaham, Stern, and Vengerov felt in the practice room, and I found myself going into the practice room quite often, sometimes too often. Music was almost like an escape from this world, a living fantasy.
Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy takes 28 minutes to perform; Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy lasts only 11; my musical fantasy could not trap me forever. Every piece comes with a bit of history and autobiography; eventually I was drawn towards a deeper interest in ideas and concepts in other disciplines, beginning with those in literature and philosophy, and eventually to domestic and international affairs. Ralph Waldo Emerson and T.S. Eliot, two poets with quite contrasting dispositions towards human significance, combined with inspiration from Prof. Richard Rorty pointed me towards a life-changing thought – that I had trapped myself in music. While my initial romantic engagement with music arose from my embrace with the value of human life, I realized that my initial love for music had developed into a form of self-infatuation. Perhaps it was also Fate who led me to these thoughts last fall, when my heart was stolen from me in the form of a musical composition. I sought for solace in another pervasive language, that of science, but it did not contain the kind of warmth I had been so familiar with for years… Not until I gave myself more time to search for inspiration, love, and a new life.

Two of my greatest heroes are healers. In 1956, Dr. Robert Fisch, later my pediatrician and dear friend, risked his own safety to treat Hungarian students and Russians alike who were injured in the chaos of the Hungarian Revolution. A Holocaust survivor of the Mauthausen concentration camp, Robert held on dearly to the value of human life and strives to this day to help children with phenylketonuria by developing special diets for the disease. In 1989, my father, Kangxiong Liao, then a medical resident at Peking University, risked interrogation and detainment by the Chinese government to treat and protect students injured during the Liu Si Tiananmen Square demonstrations. Today, he is a pioneer of minimally invasive robotic surgery, expanding the depth and practice of medical science to improve outcomes and recovery rates of patients. Both Robert and Kangxiong immigrated to the United States of America in the wake of intense social upheaval in order to seek a better life for their families. Despite their respective Hungarian and Chinese backgrounds, the two doctors shared a love and respect for the freedoms of this country, bolstering their commitment to the Hippocratic Oath. Along their journeys toward becoming American citizens, they sought and discovered new opportunities to help fellow human beings in need. As a first-generation immigrant to the United States of America, I matured with the inspiration to become a healer, of humanity’s physical and social wounds alike. Over the years my American Dream has evolved and become more refined. I live and work today as an American citizen to help improve the American hospital environment for the elderly and bed-ridden patients, reduce patient isolation and expand channels for patient communication with family members, and to enhance American-foreign medical exchange for the mutual benefit and cooperation of health care systems.

Dr. Fisch once taught me, “in life, there are three universal human languages: health, music, and freedom.” With each new year, I have found this to be true, regardless of context and contingencies. The interrelation of health, music, and freedom played a critical role in my journey to becoming an American citizen.

My parents were born in the People’s Republic of China in the midst of the Cultural Revolution. Born into a part-Japanese family, my father Kangxiong concealed his family background during his childhood out of social necessity; the social environment in the post-war period labeled all Japanese as complicit in the atrocities surrounding World War II. Without the freedom to express his identity, Kangxiong found refuge in his studies in medicine. Caring for his two younger siblings when their parents were obligated to work under the Communist Party, Kangxiong realized that the only way out of a life of poverty and oppression was through education. Education was no haven, however. Mao Zedong’s Down to the Countryside movement in the late 1960s sent my father and many other students to the countryside to perform useless physical labor. Only when students were permitted to return in the 1970s did my father have the chance to resume his education and emigrate to the U.S.A. My mother, Guo Hong, also grew up in an environment of poverty and oppression. For her family, the dismal quality and lack of health care services was devastating; she lost her mother and father in her youth because doctors were poorly trained and medical resources were wholly inadequate. Guo Hong could only find solace in her studies of English literature through secondhand and pirated books. Western civilization had always intrigued her, and she sensed that transcending the English language barrier would afford her a chance in a million for a life of freedom.

Inspired by Superman, one of the first American films available to them, my parents named me “Chao Ren,” after Clark Kent’s alter-ego. Although I almost immediately learned I was governed by the laws of gravity like everyone else, as a child I was less aware of the government’s restrictions on political thought. Party propaganda was ubiquitous and brainwashing was prevalent; at the time I looked up to the officers of the Communist regime manifest in children’s cartoon characters. After 1989, my parents earned scholarships to study abroad and left for the U.S.A. They tried what they could to take me with them, but immigration policies did not allow it. I stayed behind to live with relatives in Hubei. At the time I did not realize the importance of my parents’ sacrifice. Freedom had been such a foreign concept to me, but the separation prompted me to re-evaluate my artificially inculcated pride for the Communist Party. In 1991, my aunt took me to the immigration office to personally plead for a reunion with my parents. I was granted passage, and found myself in my parents’ arms in New York City soon thereafter.

Music entered my life during my first years in my new home and exposed me to many facets of American culture. Violin lessons were affordable through my first student-teacher and gave me the chance to meet students of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. Having only recently learned to speak English, I had difficulty understanding religion and, in some instances, racial pride. Music helped bridge some of the communication barriers. My parents’ erratic work schedules and job transitions meant we lived in a different apartment every few years. Despite such commotion, I was exposed to new cultures and attitudes each time we sought for a new violin teacher. At one point, I attended a Jewish-American after-school program and learned closely about religious values once totally foreign to me. At another point, my parents considered sending me to an all-African American elementary school because it was close and convenient. This was my first serious encounter with racism – I was ridiculed by other students for being Chinese-American as soon as I stepped through the door. I felt hurt and could not understand why I was treated with disdain, since I had readily made friends with African American students in my previous schools. I had then realized that my pride in being an American helped protect me from racial prejudice in the past; this time my identity as an American would help me overcome it. During my brief sojourn at this public school I made several new friends who would have otherwise never known a Chinese-American growing up in Brooklyn.

When I entered college, I revisited my identity as a Chinese-American. Politics invaded my once-sheltered value system as I exercised my right to vote for the first time. Professor Richard Rorty very quickly became my first mentor at Stanford and a close friend; I had read his works in high school and saw in them the character of a true American. His political agenda was non-partisan; he sought the deepening of solidarity through democracy and patient, well-reasoned efforts towards change. To him, the task of the intellectual, with respect to social justice, was not to provide sweeping revolutions of social theory, but to sensitize us to the suffering of others by keeping an open mind to competing points of view, and to refine, deepen and expand our ability to identify with others, to think of others as like ourselves in morally relevant ways. He helped free my mind from partisan ill-will and self-righteousness by introducing me to the American Romantics like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman who embodied the ever-expansive and inclusive nature of the American spirit to all of humanity and engaged not only art, but also society in the appreciation and respect for freedom. Dr. Rorty used to stroll down Mayfield Avenue regularly, close to where I lived both sophomore and junior years. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within that period, and over time I could see a marked deterioration in his physical health. His eventual passing tried my resilience, but his last words to me that year enhanced my drive me to turn my American Dream an American Reality.

Sometimes in the practice room we forget about the importance of the world around us. I conclude this section with a note form President John Adams:

“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."

My advice to fellow musicians: Think outside the Bachs!

Why did you pick up the violin?
I picked up the violin when I was around 8 years old. I had loved music very much up until then, mainly through voice/singing, but I wanted to try something new. In fact, the guitar fascinated me a lot more at first, but my parents wanted me to start out with something more "classical" and so I got a rental violin, which I thought was awesome anyhow since I could pluck it like the guitar. I soon became disappointed, however, since I learned it wasn't nearly the same instrument as the guitar AND my first teacher didn't allow me to play on it -- he required that for the first weeks of "practice" that I learn how to hold it properly before even touching the bow or the strings...

What were/are in the influences that made you who you are musically?
I developed my true love for music after I attending a
concert honoring my family physician, Dr. Robert O. Fisch. This was the first time I listened to Themes from Schindler's List, and hearing the pieces accompany the visual art slides depicting Dr. Fisch's life story (http://www.yellowstarfoundation.org) touched a part of me I never knew was there. This was the first time I cried to a piece of music and discovered a whole new dimension to something I took for granted. Coincidentally, during my spring high school orchestra tour to Europe, we visited one of the concentration camps which he had survived. I spoke with Dr. Fisch (who played violin in his youth) before I left for college and one of the things he shared with me was his mother's advice regarding music: "once music is in [your mind and your heart] you will treasure it forever." Among all occupations, he finds musical composition to be the most admirable. We are still good friends and stay in touch. He lives in the heart of Mpls, right next to Orchestra Hall...
I have fallen in love with music since then, and music has helped me further understand the beauty inherent in humanity, the arts, and life itself.

What were your expriences growing up, both musically and otherwise?
Quite a handful.
Musically, in general:
I loved to sing when I was young (still do), and do what I can to transcribe the things I can do with voice to violin (AND vice-versa).
I remember 4th grade vividly because of the culmination of exciting and amazing events/activities during that year+, including the first time I watched West Side Story (the movie) in class and the first time my schoolteacher played LOTs of classical in the background while we were reading (Vivaldi). I joined choir in 9th grade, shaved my head as Daddy Warbucks for "Annie", interned for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra last summer when Joshua Bell was over (you should see the awkward staff videos I was working with Chuck Ullery on Laughing)...
I love all kinds of music outside of classical, from the old school swingers to country, rock, pop, and hip hop. Have you seen the youtube clip of Sammy Davis Jr. imitating Michael Jackson? Or simply the Elvis Presley debut on Milton Berle's show? Some must-sees for everyone.

Violin:
Studied with about 5 teachers on/off in New York, New York. Studied with two more in Minnesota until sophomore year in high school. ABRSM Grades 1-6 (Grade 5 Theory) while I was in New York (you get a certificate signed by the Queen Mother for passing!). State/regional competition Superior Performance awards, MN All State Orchestra 2 years, first as 2nd violin and then 1st violin and orchestra spokesperson. Got a chance to play with the MN Orch under Osmo Vanska. Most recently toured Australia and New Zealand with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra.
After I stopped taking lessons and subsequently "fell in love with music," I decided to study independently. Right after the Mozart 5 and Praeludium and Allegro (the Kreisler piece is what young violinists now consider a rite of passage), I picked up the Paganini 24 Caprice and practiced it insanely for 8hrs/day for the summer. Having learned that helped me pick up pieces I had only dreamed of touching... and not too long after that I found http://www.violinmasterclass.com. Have since learned that concerti may be learned (not performed though) within a dedicated month, which allows one to improve phrasing and tone quality from memory.
My younger brother has "inherited" the full size violin I have been playing on for years and I'm currently adjusting myself to a $200 violin (case+bow included) I got last year. I am trying to introduce him to some unorthodox methods of study, since neither of us plan to go "pro" through the traditional route anyways (he wants to play basketball). Hopefully he'll learn the Bazzini before he hits 14 (update: too late for that

)

I would have to say that my first teacher was my best teacher, despite the fact that I disliked the strict lessons when I took them with him. I honestly believe he would have been recognized among the greats (he is THAT good) had it not been for personal/financial troubles involving immigration and citizenship in the US.
Only recently did I find him again (check past threads) and learn he studied with Nathan Milstein (and it was not THAT long ago that I first learned who Milstein was). Perhaps that is why he tolerated my initial lack of discipline (Milstein once said, "mother organized violin lessons for me in order to prevent me from thrashing the children of our neighbors")?
As such, I grew up with a Milstein complex. You are probably wondering what a Nathan Milstein complex is. Many have guessed it to mean that one is underappreciated as a violinist, as Milstein may have been in light of Jascha Heifetz's worldwide fame. However, my definition of the concept concerns the underappreciation of music, especially in youth, and the journey involved in developing a love for music. I identify with Milstein quite strongly in this regard. He was my teacher's mentor, one who kept an open mind to invention in the face of long-standing tradition and discipline. My hard-fought love for music helped open my mind to a better understanding of life and its beauty. Yet, at the same time, balancing musical training with intellectual curiosity has been a great challenge. I would be glad to share this story, among many others, with you in time. Since you asked, the violins in that photo are not strads per se. I have a Shen modeled off of a Guarnerius and a Strad copy. The contrast between my two instruments' sounds resembles the contrast between actual Guarneri and Stradivari. Although I am inclined to agree with Pinchas Zuckerman's philosophy that the instrument is merely an expensive wooden box, and that the real music comes from the person playing it, I do look forward to earning the chance to play on either of the renowned types.

General:
Streets of New York. Bronx, Riverdale, Douglaston. Sound familiar to anyone? Public schools in NY. Awesome.
Middle school and High school in MN. Played traveling basketball as a center. I was TALL relative to my class then... a couple of years later, the guy whom I easily guarded during scrimmage gained like a whole foot and towered over everyone. I can still dunk

I used to talk with a NY accent, as my peers in MN noted.
Now people in California think I have a Midwestern accent.
I will be entering my junior year at Stanford University as a Public Policy Major, Human Biology Minor/(or double major if I coterm in International Policy Studies for a Master's). I'm looking at Law School... Did you know my decision between practicing the Paganini B minor and the Tchaikovsky D major for competition coincided with my decision between law and medicine? B minor = barrister, D major = doctor. I choose the former. Strange eh?

The friends I've made over the years have had an invaluable influence on my life. Some of them I've been able to find after years of disconnect (thank you facebook.com... JOIN UP).
Oddly enough, a girl I knew from K-1st grade before I moved to a different neighborhood in the Bronx I met just last year at college IN MY CLASS! I recognized her/remembered her too, because she was pretty much the genius in our class in elementary.

You can find great inspiration almost anywhere. I have volunteered at a Veterans Affairs center for some time now and the stories our vets have to share are simply amazing. I got a chance to work for Children's Heartlink (http://www.childrensheartlink.org) last summer (based in Edina, MN) and the letters you read from children are filled with a love that one wishes were more prevalent in the world today. In both places I was able to discuss with others some of the simplest yet most deep and meaningful things in life.
Strange yet awesome things happen, you just have to notice them.

Who were the teachers/mentors that influenced you?
Music: Zhong Jay (above). Kathleen Casey for introducing me to Kreisler and phrasings in the music. DeVonna Murrin and Julia Bartsch in high school orchestra.
I loved all of my teachers in school and hope I get to see them again someday. Steven Bloom in 4th grade (I think he won teacher of the year two years ago...he used to throw a tennis ball really high up during recess and if anyone in our class caught it coming down, we'd have no homework for that day LOL), Shari Spiegler in 5th, Elizbeth "Betsy" Cussler in 12th who made me fall in love with literature, Heung Taek "Ben" Hur who taught me physical and mental discipline and several Taekwondo terms in Korean, I have so many people from my childhood and teen years I want to thank and I leave that for me to do person.
More recently, Prof. Richard Rorty for giving me a whole new perspective of life (and introducing me to Harold Bloom), Prof./Secy Defense William Perry for sharing his knowledge, experiences, happiness, values, and simply those wacky Powerpoint Slides and Medieval times/Civil War clips, and Prof. John Cogan for telling me the stories behind the statistics and inviting to me work with him @ Hoover.

Update: In a recent London Sinfonia concert in King's Lynn, I noticed that the conductor looked very familiar. I found out he was none other than Douglas Boyd, whom I knew from the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra several years back when I was a marketing intern. I went backstage and also ran into Barry Kempton, whom I remembered from morning meetings and the profile videos I recorded for the office. What a coincidence, from MN to Norfolk!

I can't get the West Side Story lyrics out of my head... perhaps after I finish writing the contemporary version, "West Bank Story."

My upcoming projects:

1) In early 2008, I had the chance to ask Melvin Hall, CEO of Press Ganey, the largest private health care delivery consultant in the US, what the most common patient complaint was across all the hospitals the company had surveyed. According to their surveys, patients most commonly complained about the noise in their wards. During my time as a volunteer there and in other hospitals, I also noticed that patient isolation significantly affected recovery. Harold Jessup, one of the World War II veterans I worked with was one of the quieter patients. Despite the efforts of student volunteers in the center, one could tell the sadness in his voice and many others due to their isolation when the students are away and when families are not visiting. Noises generated by other wards only made things worse, as they served as constant reminders of one’s own mortality. I intend to help establish a more regular incorporation of music in hospitals and improving family contact by starting a pilot program in the Menlo Park Veteran’s Affairs. This would be accomplished with the installation of affordable portable music-video devices for patients that would allow them to listen to libraries of music and see videos family members send to them via a wireless internet connection. Though such technology would not replace the value of actual human contact, it would eliminate long periods of isolation and morbid ambience for both elderly and bed-ridden patients experience in the hospital.
2) The second project is a plan to expand health care dialogue and economic ties between the US and China. Given the dire condition of the current US economy, it is imperative that the US expand the export of useful products and services that China would demand. I visited Beijing’s largest state hospital this past April and was appalled by the inefficiency and unsafe condition of the hospital environment. Patients were crammed in the lobby, waiting in line for a variety of reasons – from simple diagnosis to treatment for chronic illness. The setting was much like the New York Stock Exchange, except there was very little order amidst the chaos. Diseases could very easily spread in such an environment. Medical records were insecure and unreliable. Nurses were poorly trained and treated patients with disdain.
My project includes the following:
- Developing a curriculum in the incorporation of new medical technologies, practices, and hospital management that for hospital administrators and health care entrepreneurs in China. I plan to invite experts in these areas from the US to lecture in major hospitals in China and suggest strategies in improving health care resources and delivery. Having recently met with Yu Minhong, CEO and founder of New Oriental, the largest private English-teaching company in China, I plan to work in collaboration with his company to generate revenue from lecture attendance to help make this program self-sustainable. Yu (Michael) Minhong is an amazing person. He started with very unorthodox teaching practices in Beijing (mom taught with him in the early days) and is an archetype of the rags-to-riches story in China. His quickness and adaptability saved his life when he was kidnapped by a notorious gang (story here): http://en.ce.cn/National/Law/200607/24/ ... 6767.shtml
- Eliminating crowds in the hospitals by encouraging the incorporation of an electronic paging/notification system. Such a system would be exported by US healthcare providers. Despite Chinese hospital being “state-controlled,” local hospital administrators have significant flexibility in management design. Additionally, patients would have the incentive to pay some additional fees to fund such improvements in order to avoid having to wait in line for hours, sometimes days. Hospital administrators in Shanghai have expressed their enthusiasm for learning American techniques and importing American technologies. Developments in Shanghai would thus spark an incentive for other state hospitals to compete (Beijing).
- Preparing foreign pre-medical and medical students, including those in China, in English medical and management terminology and for immigration and work in health care in the US. Given the rise of health care costs in the US, the need for nurses and para-medical professionals over higher-paid doctors/specialists has become increasingly important for the distribution of care via insurance. Nurse and para-medical consultants would be attractive positions for skilled immigrants, and would help improve the nurse-physician ratio that correlates with improved care and outcomes.

Oops, a very astute observer reminded me that I had neglected to answer the questions posted!

• are male or female [it's hard to tell by sign-on names!]
Male

• sign-on name AND what do your friends call you?
living_stradivarius
Henry (or Hank when it comes to competitive sports and games -- one syllable is easier to call out than two).

• what country you reside in
USA

• study music - if so what instrument
Violin

• are a performing/practicing musician
Yes

• collect records [CDs or LPs]
CDs and digital recordings. Classical Music Library and Naxos.

• are a composer or teacher
Assist in teaching young violinists
Helina Pakolka my brother's teacher and has established a wonderful program for children in MN and Finland.

• said anything else you might like us to know about you
I think I jumped on this question prematurely! The previous section has been updated a bit.

Werner · Post by **Werner** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 5:53 pm

Thank you for a fascuinating post, Hank - Henry - or Strad - it's an exceptional way of getting to know you. I can't say that I generally tend to read long posts - but here you have given us a fascinating picture of a variegated and questingly engaged young life - with promises in many directions. I'm not sure how your musical activities will mesh with your growing activities in health care and a bridge between two great nations, but your path up to now seems full of promise.

With thanks for a most interesting piographical tour, and best wishes for your future,

Sporkadelic · Post by **Sporkadelic** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:17 pm

A few words about myself.

• are male or female [it's hard to tell by sign-on names!]
Male

• sign-on name AND what do your friends call you?
a. Sporkadelic
b. Russell (or Russ, that's okay too)

• what country you reside in
USA

• study music - if so what instrument
No, but I do a lot of reading on all things musical

• are a performing/practicing musician
Nope

• collect records [CDs or LPs]
Yes, thousands (78s as well)

• are a composer or teacher
No

• said anything else you might like us to know about you
I once spent an afternoon working as a shopping-mall Santa

piston · Post by **piston** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:32 pm

I once spent an afternoon working as a shopping-mall Santa

You qualify as a presidential candidate!

living_stradivarius · Post by **living_stradivarius** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:20 pm

Werner wrote:Thank you for a fascuinating post, Hank - Henry - or Strad - it's an exceptional way of getting to know you. I can't say that I generally tend to read long posts - but here you have given us a fascinating picture of a variegated and questingly engaged young life - with promises in many directions. I'm not sure how your musical activities will mesh with your growing activities in health care and a bridge between two great nations, but your path up to now seems full of promise.

With thanks for a most interesting piographical tour, and best wishes for your future,

Thank you Werner for reading and for your support. All the best to you, and I look forward to learning more about you and your life experiences as we continue to contribute to the discussions on this site!

Post by **Lance** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:54 pm

1073 VIEWS and only 87 responses. Hey - we'd like to know more about you, too! Again, if you have not responded to my original post (at the top, of course), please take a few moments to tell us about yourself! People are thoroughly enjoying reading these - and it brings us all closer together! Believe me, it does!

Sylph · Post by **Sylph** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:38 am

Lance wrote:1073 VIEWS and only 87 responses. Hey - we'd like to know more about you, too! Again, if you have not responded to my original post (at the top, of course), please take a few moments to tell us about yourself! People are thoroughly enjoying reading these - and it brings us all closer together! Believe me, it does!

Well, I hope you realise that those 87 who replied viewed the thread more than once!

TopoGigio · Post by **TopoGigio** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:58 am

Well, I take the number 88,,,a number with bad fame,,,

• are male or female [it's hard to tell by sign-on names!] - Foe

• sign-on name AND what do your friends call you? - Dispicable?

• what country you reside in - Hell Cave,OZ

• study music - if so what instrument - Keybooard & Voice,,,in broad sense,,,
the wonderful infrasounds of the suave roar of a blackpanther at freedom,,,
I heared it at my back and I was paralyzed!

• are a performing/practicing musician -Thousands of tricky recordings,,,
Private Player.

• collect records [CDs or LPs] - No,but I take all to my reach,,,

• are a composer or teacher - ExperiMentalist

• said anything else you might like us to know about you - I love the occult,the
mystery,,,better so'

Post by **Lance** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:50 pm

Yes, the thought occurred to me. And I'm one of 'em!

I check MANY times, in fact.

Sylph wrote:
Lance wrote:1073 VIEWS and only 87 responses. Hey - we'd like to know more about you, too! Again, if you have not responded to my original post (at the top, of course), please take a few moments to tell us about yourself! People are thoroughly enjoying reading these - and it brings us all closer together! Believe me, it does!
Well, I hope you realise that those 87 who replied viewed the thread more than once!

Post by **Lance** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:52 pm

Well, TopoGigio, by now, you MUST know that many CMGers are particularly interested in REAL FACTS about you. You have a lot of devoted friends on board here. How about coming up with the real answers for us, eh?

TopoGigio wrote:Well, I take the number 88,,,a number with bad fame,,,

• are male or female [it's hard to tell by sign-on names!] - Foe

• sign-on name AND what do your friends call you? - Dispicable?

• what country you reside in - Hell Cave,OZ

• study music - if so what instrument - Keybooard & Voice,,,in broad sense,,,
the wonderful infrasounds of the suave roar of a blackpanther at freedom,,,
I heared it at my back and I was paralyzed!

• are a performing/practicing musician -Thousands of tricky recordings,,,
Private Player.

• collect records [CDs or LPs] - No,but I take all to my reach,,,

• are a composer or teacher - ExperiMentalist

• said anything else you might like us to know about you - I love the occult,the
mystery,,,better so'

TopoGigio · Post by **TopoGigio** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:51 pm

An early morning I was walking by the field,alone,and at my sight,almost nothing,plain field...then I heared at my back the infrasound and the sound of a suave,lovely roar of a blackpanther,,,I was paralyzed,,,then I saw,unnoticed for me, the cages of a circus,not far away.The little wind revealing my presence to the big cat,then bringing to me the music of love, ,,:)

And yes, I have "thousands" of tricky recordings,I work at my work,,,

Sporkadelic · Post by **Sporkadelic** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:42 pm

piston wrote:
I once spent an afternoon working as a shopping-mall Santa

You qualify as a presidential candidate!

I'll be casting a write-in vote for myself on Tuesday!

John F · Post by **John F** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:46 pm

When something personal about me is relevant to a message I'm writing, I include it there, and any who care (rather few, I should think) can build up some kind of a personal profile by reading through those 800 posts if they think it worth the trouble. I've no desire to seem mysterious - after all, I do use my real name here, no Corno di Bassetto (or TopoGigio) for me. But I'd prefer people who don't know me personally to focus on what I say, on the merits if any, instead of who I think I am to say it.

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:43 pm

John F wrote:When something personal about me is relevant to a message I'm writing, I include it there, and any who care (rather few, I should think) can build up some kind of a personal profile by reading through those 800 posts if they think it worth the trouble. I've no desire to seem mysterious - after all, I do use my real name here, no Corno di Bassetto (or TopoGigio) for me. But I'd prefer people who don't know me personally to focus on what I say, on the merits if any, instead of who I think I am to say it.

You have a lot of interesting things to say, and you are extremely knowledgeable, could you not spread just a little light on yourself...after all we only need one Topo...I read what you write, but, I am also interested in who you are...

John F · Post by **John F** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:50 pm

And I enjoy reading what you write too. So let's meet if we can.

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:01 pm

John F wrote:And I enjoy reading what you write too. So let's meet if we can.

Sure...

Werner · Post by **Werner** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:48 am

Okay, gentelemen - ready for the next "meetup?"

Who is online