For those of you enjoy faces, especially you youngsters, I just thought I'd throw in my old face to show you what 30+ years of college teaching and/or dissipation can do a person (please don't begrudge an old man a little sax
) ...
My name's Dick Lane. I retired from active professoring (archaeology, at St. Cloud State University) in 1999 and have since returned to my former first love ? playing music. My aged body parts, or lack thereof, precluded my playing the horns I'd started out on in 1940s grade school ? fewer teeth, limited arm movement, etc and etc. ? so my choices were pretty much limited to single or double reeds. I visited a local music store in early 2000 to look into renting something I could try out. I thought I'd probably get either an oboe or clarinet for a couple of months to start with and then decide. But there was an absolutely beautiful Antigua Winds straight soprano on display that just sang my name (
Dickie, Dickie ... buy me ...). I bought it on the spot (but still have occasional oboe envy)!
Since then ... SOTW, much good info, lots of pointers, a few more horns, lots of books, mouthpieces and reeds, a clarinet ? and, finally, taking advantage of a Minnesota law, allowing residents over 62 to audit (tuition free) courses at any of our state colleges or universities, I signed on as a music student at my old school some three years ago and have achieved (roughly) the exalted status of 5th semester performance major!
I've gained so much from all you folks at SOTW that I figured I'd follow along to the Woodwindforum and see what I might be missing out on. Thanks for having me!!