Hi guys & gals,
My name is Alban. I am 40 years old this year. I have been playing music on and off for the past 25 years of my life. The first 10 was playing classical piano. I was pretty average, did exams and everything but never really did that well. Started learning Jazz when I was about 24, took lessons and did some Jazz workshops. Bought a Roland Juno 106, then updated that a year later with a Roland Alpha Juno 2. A year later bought an Roland HP 3000.
Everything started to gel when I began playing with a Trad Jazz band for about 18 months, 3 years ago. Weekly rehearsals and monthly gigs really burn't all those chords into my subconcious.
For the past 5 months, have been doing solo jazz piano at a restaurant on Friday nights. Really good for your chops playing for 4 hours at a time. I don't really practise other than my restaurant gig (dont tell the boss!)
My 2 cents to any fellow hobby musicians - get a live gig - not for the money or the glamour. It is the best thing to improve your chops - better than lessons, books, practise. Of course the pressure of a live gig will force you to practise, practise. (unless you play at a restaurant where you can practise while the punters are scoffing their food!) Actually if you give it your all, even in a restaurant patorns will respond to your music.
I have really enjoyed the conversations on this forum. Lots of great people.
Alby
