I play the piano, as a hobby. One or two hours a day. I go to classes and I've been playing for five or six years.
I have also composed some electronic music and remixed popular tracks but I stopped doing that because of lack of time.
Ask HN: Musicians?
51–60 of 71 posts
Re: Ask HN: Musicians?
#52I'm not sure I'm considered a musician, yet, but I'm learning bass guitar. I practice daily, though not as much as I'd like.
Re: Ask HN: Musicians?
#53Regarding music and hacking. Personally, music theory and the compositional techniques I learned as a student "feel" very similar to hacking: writing an examination fugue in the style of J.S.Bach involves complex thinking and problem solving within a (semi) formal system with an additional (and essential) appreciation of conciseness, grace, style and aesthetic.
Also, hacking music is fun! When I was learning to program I wrote a little app to solve species counterpoint problems with a genetic algorithm. Although not always up to "human" results (especially fifth species counterpoint) the "solutions" were always fun to listen to. ;-)
As for me: I'm a tuba player - a graduate of the Royal College of Music with an academic (rather than performance based) undergraduate music degree. I also play organ and piano. I still play regularly and was recently a soloist with a local orchestra in a performance of the Vaughan William's concerto. Life without music would be unbearable... :-/
Re: Ask HN: Musicians?
#54I'm the lead guitar for Ann Arbor-based rock band, Moment of Inertia (we all happen to be engineers... computer, electrical, mechanical, and aerospace between the 4 of us).
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8umukDN_PVE
We've been a band for 5 years now, and this is definitely my top activity right after running our startup and right before autocrossing (oh, and my girlfriend fits somewhere in there too).
Re: Ask HN: Musicians?
#55Fingerstyle guitar. http://peterkeane.com
Re: Ask HN: Musicians?
#56Guitar. taught lessons to get thru h.s. and college (Best job ever for a punk kid who happens to be punctual.) Went on the road for a few years with a band (Best job ever for a beginning hacker (lots of time in the van with a laptop.)) After that I got a "real programming job" and built copies of vintage gear as a hobby. Now i'm in a working cover band and in a few experimental things.
Re: Ask HN: Musicians?
#57Took piano lessons until 8th grade, in 9th grade picked up guitar on my own, learned to play by ear, I'm pretty decent albeit a casual player. I don't play in bands much, just jam around with friends, and I know I don't have the chops to be a professional. Music is a great thing to geek out with, you can really be a music gearhead just like with computer equipment. I'm especially interested in digital audio workstation (DAW) technology, it's a perfect blend of computer science and music.
Re: Ask HN: Musicians?
#58Took piano lessons until 8th grade, in 9th grade picked up guitar on my own, learned to play by ear, I'm pretty decent albeit a casual player. I don't play in bands much, just jam around with friends, and I know I don't have the chops to be a professional. Music is a great thing to geek out with, you can really be a music gearhead just like with computer equipment. I'm especially interested in digital audio workstati…
http://www.tshaddox.com/?cat=10 Some compositions of mine (mp3 downloads).
A modest piano composition of mine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPS1DDVenrk
Re: Ask HN: Musicians?
#59I play harmonica. Not at very good level but good enough to be able to jam with my friends guitar.
Right there with you. I picked it up only a few months ago so I'm an amateur at best.
I always keep my harmonica within the reach of my hands, so whenever I'm tired of coding I lean back and play a little.
Re: Ask HN: Musicians?
#60Piano. Classically trained, but after I dropped out of college (for unrelated reasons), I spent a couple years playing in cover bands, church organ, piano bars. Sadly, after getting into computers, I haven't touched it for 15 years.