Age and occupation (old & new)

[Raz]

Hey Raz,

About a dozen years ago, I was doing stand up comedy and found myself working one week in Kansas city with a comic named Chris fonseca, who had cerebral palsy. The club put us up in a condo, and chris had a wheelchair, a walker, and a shower bench with him.

I thought it was going to be a very difficult week for me being resposible for helping him, but it turned into one of the great weeks of my life. A really sweet guy, who was hard to understand until you fell into his talking rhythmn.

Once you did, it was like listening to a prophet - funny thoughtful, and not the least bit bitter.
Good luck with everything!
KEITH

Thanks Keith...stand up...man you are one surprise after another...anyway my son, is actually fortunate in that he is able to walk, although on his toes at times, but most of his obstacles come from the ability to process information, or signals to the brain. He is in regular school, with an EA, so I think we are grateful that he has come along way...he he was born at a pound and a half...I wish I was playing back then like I am now...I could have used the natural therapy!

Thanks for having an ear guys!

 

[lock-ny]

Interesting to learn about everyone and their families, well I just turned 31 and I am a commodoties trader, I am from huntington LI originally and I live on34th street right now in NYC- I have been playing since im 12 and I studied music at wisconsin and at GIT for a year after school, I spent my early 20's doing session work and backing up a particular R&B guy, and now I have a band here in nY and we are recording a few songs for a few different people -

 

[deadringer]

I'm 39 and I am a Mapping Technician/Computer Draftsman(person...ooops!). I worked as a foreman/supervisor and inspector in construction out in the field until my nerves got shot and thus decided to step back in time and try something different. Although I started playing when I was in my teens, I only started playing again after 15 years off, and you guessed it my first, NEW guitar was an EBMM SUB1...I'm married and I have two children, My son has Cerebral Palsy, but he has also been diagnosed wih ADHD and Autism...so I must say that I appreciate the work you are doing Lew...also Kbaim, that little gesture with the tickets was wonderful! Thanks!

Oh I should also mention hats off to Deadringer for his work with his step son...I admire your courage. Oh one more thing, thanks goes out to my wife who has put up with me for all of these years, especially lately with my severe case of G.A.S.

Hey Raz, I feel for you and your son. My step son also has CP. He was a shaken baby at three months old. My wife left him with a room mate while she went to work and her room mate lost it and shook the crap out of him.

He is blind, has spastic and estonic CP, gastric reflux, and he can't walk, talk, or feed himself. He goes to school through special ed and every day is a challenge. I met him when he was five weeks post shaking and I just fell in love with both him and his mommy. She was so strong and loving despite all she'd been through.

He can't see but his hearing has compensated and it far above average. He loves music to his very soul and has always reacted to music, even when he reacted to little else. He's been to more gigs and rehearsals at nine years old than many of musicians I know of. He's also my constant companion during all my recording sessions. He loves drums the best but digs it all. I had a blue harmonic player in yesterday all afternoon for a friend's blues album and Nic just laughed and laughed the whole way through.

 

[SteveB]

I am 34, CIO for a national title & closing company, married with 2 young kids (son just turned one, daughter will be 3 next month).

My wife is a school psychologist, so I am well aware of all these conditions that have been discussed (CP, ADHD, Autism). She also does musical theater on the side (sings/dances/acts), while I play in a garage band for my musical outlet.

I played bar gigs from the time I was 17 until I was about 21. But my day job starts a 7am and that makes gigging a real drain. I've been playing since I was 12 (guitar playing runs in my mother's family for at least 5 generations). Never had any lessons, just play by ear.

 

[Raz]

Hey Raz, I feel for you and your son. My step son also has CP. He was a shaken baby at three months old. My wife left him with a room mate while she went to work and her room mate lost it and shook the crap out of him.

He is blind, has spastic and estonic CP, gastric reflux, and he can't walk, talk, or feed himself. He goes to school through special ed and every day is a challenge. I met him when he was five weeks post shaking and I just fell in love with both him and his mommy. She was so strong and loving despite all she'd been through.

He can't see but his hearing has compensated and it far above average. He loves music to his very soul and has always reacted to music, even when he reacted to little else. He's been to more gigs and rehearsals at nine years old than many of musicians I know of. He's also my constant companion during all my recording sessions. He loves drums the best but digs it all. I had a blue harmonic player in yesterday all afternoon for a friend's blues album and Nic just laughed and laughed the whole way through.

Deadringer bro, excuse me while I wipe my eyes...man that is one sweet happening scene you got goin on...do you write your own tunes...cause you got a whole tractor trailer load of inspiration bro...keep up the strength...you're a good and wonderful person...the world needs more people like you...man this place has got to be the best discussion board anywhere...


I apologize for hi-jacking people...oh BTW StevieB, I had a feeling it was in your blood...

 

[tvanveen]

I'm 36, former mainframe developer turned photographer. Here's my site -

http://www.bigdayphoto.com

It's all wedding stuff, but maybe not what you think of as wedding stuff...

Anyway, I've had a guitar since I was 12, but never had the nerve to join or start up a band, I just never ran into anyone who liked the same stuff I do, plus I've always thought I sucked.

I still pretty much suck, but I got lucky and have been playing in band for about a year...

http://www.myspace.com/boxcarcollision

tv

 

[Glassmoon]

29 and pro musician. not much to say other than that, hehe. except...I love EBMM!!! and, also, if anyone always wanted to give being a working musician a try and never has, but could create the opportunity to do so...do it! it's very fulfilling if you keep your head on straight.

 

[Johnny B. Good]

.


I'm 43 and I work for Defense Support Services (DS2)
at Kadena Air Base on the island of Okinawa Japan.

I perform a test on F-15 and F-16 engines...

http://www.johnnybrooks.com/certs.html


.

 

[spkirby]

Have you noticed how almost all of us are either in finance, IT or defense!

Maybe EBMM should start advertising in banks, computer mags and army bases

 

[Ali]

34 and run my own veterinary surgery. And creaking along on 56k dial up and MacOS 9.1

 

[fsmith]

43... IT Security Officer and Executive Director of Communications and Networking for the University of MD Baltimore campus, also part-time operator of family owned taxi service. Re-married last February, 5 kids (hence taxi service) between me and my lovely, very understanding wife . Sunporch guitar hack.

fred

 

[gproud5150]

This is the best thread I think I've seen yet. It's great to get to know everyone a little better.
I'm 31, Technical Support for the local provincial gov't (gag)
Married, with a boy who will be 2 in Jan and another one due at the end of May (which will probably put the kybosh on my gigging, but we'll wait and see)
Weekend warrior with a 4 piece cover band www.57stone.net
Just started some songwriting with a good friend of mine.
At one time during my gigging for a living years, I could tell almost all of our fine Canadian Beers apart on taste alone. Most famous around here for my EBMM EVH guitar. I kid you not. People don't know my name, but I'm the guy with the Eddie Van Halen guitar.

 

[Jimi D]

Well, well, well... go away for a few days and I come back to a confessional... well, as long as we're all getting personal...


I'm a 28 year old profession model and full time astronaut with NASA, who dabbles in international intrigue and bedding fulsome starlets in his spare time...







...okay, so I'm like 42 with a receding hair line and far from receding belly and I program these stupid 'puter thingies for $$$... I have two kids, three cats, a wife who is a Celtic/Classical harpist and a really cool new house that's currently eating up all my spare time... Guitar playing is just a hobby, but a passionate one...

 

[jongitarz]

50, and you guys know what I do. I am married, 1 son, 1 stepson 1 stepdaughter, my wife is my lead singer. I have been playing guitar for 40 years(you would think I would be really good by now)

 

[NorM]

40 and an honest to goodness rocket scientist who can't spell.

 

[Lew]

Agreed this is a good thread.
Hey I think your onto something Steve!
Thanks for the kind words.
There are alot of good folk's here.

Oh and Happy Birthday!

 

[KungFu Grip]

I'm 32, with a wife and 2 kids (2 and 5), both boys. Got a house, 2 mortgages, 2 cars, 2 guitars. Work as a programmer for the last 10 years. Just an ordinary guy playing in his basement.

 

[tvanveen]

Yo Fred, I used to do applications development for the Financial Aid office at UMCP back when I was a geek. Worked for UMCP for 12 years...

Small world.

tv

 

[Supreeth]

It's great to see this thread still going strong, and even better the knowledge that this forum is made up of really amazing people...It's great finding out a little more about all of you.

Koogs, Dodgeball: Happy beleated birthday to you guys!

 

[Dreamrycher]

45 year-old advertising director at a daily newspaper and part-time college instructor. 27 years playing experience. Owner of two Petrucci 6 strings, 1 pearl red burst and 1 mystic dream.