what else do you guys do?

[Jace-BeOS]

Male, 36, part-time open relationship, seeking musical partner to share a new life with.



Was an appreciated-by-clients tech trainer for a local university till sociopathic boss' insanity (& HR & useless effing union & psych drugs) drove me out. Previously to that: tech support x3. I was also a design specialist in a training department of corporate america for almost two years and enjoyed that as well (except for being laid off). Currently: Unemployed on disability. PTSD, mildly autistic. Live with two cats (male fatty mutt & female tiny Maine Coon; both loudmouths). Living in hellhole, conservative, small minded town, in craptastic row house I shouldn't have bought (thanks, psych drugs!).

I enjoy reading/watching science fiction, writing (I'm your typical "maybe I could write a space epic" half-wanna-be author), doing photography (Photoshop is the tool I know best), and, if I had the money and motivation, many other art forms. The only positive effect of the 5 years of psych drugs was a brief period of high prolificness (?) in photography and music (SSRI made me act on impulses). All else about drugs was horrific. Off them, my existence has recovered some tolerability but I'm still suffering long term withdrawal effects, such as inability to act on/follow-through on impulses (opposite effect of being unable to filter/inhibit myself while on SSRI).

The last 7 years of my life were wasted by the actions of others. The entire lifetime I had prior to that was damaged by abuses I suffered as a person with "learning disabilities" that were undiagnosed and unaccommodated (ie: "it's all your fault/bad attitude"). School was therefore a disaster, except for classes I chose for myself (which I then excelled in). Things won't get back on track till I can move the hell out if this hellhole town/house. I'm not getting much music done due to physical issues (more thank yous to psych drugs) and noise/heat inherent in this location. Actually, I mostly just sit in the living room with my iPhone, reading the Internet, because I'm the most unmotivated when alone (which is almost all the time). I know no local artists or musicians and my only friends are long distances away. Whee!

[dune_rave]

what else do you guys do?

collecting good music:

[yairhol]

Hi,
I'm 37 from Israel. Married and have 1 daughter who is 3.5 years old.
I like everything related to what's on the internet, reading science related stuff and of course making music.
I have an M.Sc. in electro-optical engineering and working towards my P.hd. in electrical engineering.
I have a 5 year old Golden Retriever and one gold fish (the others died). I'm waiting for this one to die as well because I want to throw out away the fish bowl.
Lately I don't have as much time as I would like to make music but I hope that will change soon.

[Shangsean]

I'm a 35 year old Australian, but I moved to China about 8 years ago. I first lived in a city called Wuxi, but I've been in Shanghai for 7 years now and I love it. I work at an international school teaching ICT to primary students. I'm married to an Australian girl who I moved over here with, but we've only been married for a couple of years.

I really only started doing music when I came over here because I couldn't really afford to buy the stuff I wanted when I was in Australia. Now I have a lot more disposable income. We will probably be moving back to Australia next year, which I have mixed feelings about (back to the real world). Shanghai's a great place to live and we live in a great area, with fantastic restaurants and bars of all kinds everywhere. We basically walk or cycle everywhere, apart from getting the subway to work, which is right outside our door. Great life here, but I do have something called a "family" in Sydney, so I may need to see them at some stage.

I enjoy creating soundtrack/atmospheric type music pieces and also rock/metal stuff, but my recording skills let me down with real instruments. I listen to music like Rush, The Mountain Goats, Ulver, Rage, Devin Townsend, Lacrimosa and some death/black metal stuff. I don't listen to much electronic stuff except when it's creating an atmosphere, such as Ulver's brilliant Perdition City. I really can't get into any beat based stuff, like techno or dance, etc.

When I'm not making music I'm at work, drinking beer, eating, playing video games, travelling or just wandering around the city. I only watch tv if it's something I really like, not to pass the time. I only have so much time on this earth, I don't want to just let it pass me by.

That's me, now I've got about a hundred report comments to write.

[Amon1973]

Props to Shangsean listening to Ulver

Now...
Male, 39, born in North-Eastern Italy, married to a German lady, one 6yo son. Still live in northern Italy, but actually don't know how long.

Graduated in a commercial school with a focus on computer technology, I've followed a professional sound engineering course during 1996 / 1997, worked as an FOH engineer and backline technician and have been playing shows with my bands until 2003. Good times.

I'm into extreme metal since 1989, multi-instrumentalist, writer/composer and producer for my own bands... have a dozen albums released... with a new one out in a while. I "run" a small home studio and did some useless part-time jobs during the last 7 years in order to pay the bills. I'm also an Electro / EBM / Industrial freak. Fed up by everything (as I'm used to be since... mmhh, always), I'm getting another diploma as a developer these days, but I have chosen the Web as my main focus (so HTML, CSS, PHP, JS).
I did some graphics (went to a school for that also) in the past and still do occasionally... I recently started a small company with a fellow artist, we provide services for artists ranging from audio engineering to web design / programming and cover artworks. Hope I won't have to do a shitty job in order to survive again, but it won't be easy to start fresh at 39. So I don't actually know what I'll be doing as an adult

Love to read books about philosophy, history, ancient religions / esotericism, hate TV and drink enough beer to be a well-respected guy in Germany - yep, proud of it. I'm interested in politics and geo-politics because I like to know how this (negatively) affects our lives, but I'm no activist, actually never have been involved in politics at all and I'm fine like this. During the last years I also got back to a little gaming, mostly Amiga titles that I play with my son.

[michael2]

interesting how many of you are techies, interesting how educated you are (compared to if I had asked the same question of a bunch of hair metal guys in the 90's). especially striking: how many of you are 47 (or is it 48?).

[hibidy]

I'm always surprised that I'm not the "old man" here. Over at SS.org I'm literally grandpa age (oh yeah, some people here are grandpas! )

[rcat]

64 yrs. OLD this July (talk about yer grandpas), married 25 yrs. to a wonderful woman - 2nd marriage for both of us. Helped raise one stepdaughter now 36 yrs. old, but going on 12. Have many cats, a 200lb. African spurred tortoise (that will probably outlive me by at least 50 yrs.), 2 dogs, 2 pond turtles and various nightime visitors which I'm still trying to identify. Retired now after 4 career changes in chronological order: Musician > Electronic Technician > Pharmacy Technician > Computer Technician. Have a very modest bedroom studio setup. Main instrument is guitar and I make a sad attempt at keyboard. Mainly into fusion, but also any other music that tweaks my emotions. I remember going to the Winterland in San Francisco where we saw Cream, Hendrix, Big Brother w/ Janis Joplin, and some other big name band that I can't remember, all on the same show for $3.50. My current wife, who I hadn't met yet, did the light show for that concert.

[Hink]

(oh yeah, some people here are grandpas! )

x3

even better, July 8th my son goes to NY to get my two granddaughters so I will get to spend my b-day with all three grandkids. My first granddaughter's b-day (Relena) is a week before mine so we can celebrate together

[Hovmod]

What else?

[Chris Walton]

I'm still the young'un here.

25 years old, with a not-yet-but-eventually-to-be wife and a 1 year old daughter.

I love, live, and breathe computer science. I work at a company developing building security management software, and at home I do various small things as well.

I'm also a volunteer fire fighter in my hometown, and when wifey-elect, kid, work, programming, firefighting, music, etc. doesn't keep me busy, I may play a computer game.

[sauli]

27 years old male from Helsinki/Finland, wife, 3 years old daughter whom I named after Ada Lovelace and game character Zelda (which is extremely rare name here).

Working at small/mid-size local game studio. Used to be allarounder (level design, scripting, audio, tool design, some gfx), but now doing mostly audio related things (as what someone might call technical sound designer).

Nowadays most of my time goes to work and kid and what is left I spend doing music, on my own game projects and demoscene activity. Demoscene used to be big thing in my life, but nowadays my involvment is mostly drinking beer with other demosceners who don't have time to do demos either Tho if I happen to visit a demoparty I always try have a demo or intro done, which leads to sleepless nights and fighting with my wife.

I also enjoy beer. Especially imperial stout, porter and imperial pale ale.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

29 Male, Fulltime single father of two, My Son turns 10 years-old this July and My Daughter turns 8 years-old in december, I am divorced and the Children do not see thier Mother (far too long a story to go into but only for many a very good reason and did My best to not have things turn out the way they did do). My Son is on the autistic spectrum which brings its own unique challenges into things but in all honesty I find my Daughter alot harder work. Both are a joy though and are the reason for my very existance to be honest. Inbetween my fulltime parenting job, I try to squeeze in both my own music making and also working for/helping out other people and bands do the same. Going from fulltime audio work and bands to the exact opposite was really hard but with time I have settled down into things. First and foremost I am simply a humble fan of music, Secondly I play guitar (along with bass guitar) and thirdly all the studio/live sound related stuff from engineering and mixing to guitar teching, I like/enjoy it all when I can. Have some health problems both mentally and physically but too much to got into detail here, Again something that I have to deal with for the sake of My number one priority. The area musically I am not that great at is synthesis and I never have been, However I do try and work on it when time permits. Music wise I listen to alot of things but if I had to pick one genre/style which I have always loved and work in then it would be Metal; Total lifer. Live and always have lived/born and breed in the northwest of england, UK. The greater manchester area to be more precise. I smoke to much, drink to much tea. I don't drink alcohol but am by no means straight edge Watch TV, Probably the kids channels more than the stuff I would like to watch as I am not really the boss I do have a sense of humour but get told I should 'smile more' Im pretty much WYSIWG and keep things simple.

So incase We have never spoken here on KVR before, That is who I am and what I do, I am pleased to meet You too. Main areas of GAS involve guitars, pedals, amplifiers and cabinets (and all related to that). I try to be as open and honest at all times and have met alot of good people here, Thank you

Dean Stockwell (and nah, definately not the Quatum Leap screen version! ...My mother swear's that She had not a clue and as She is not a Sci-Fi fan I take Her word on that)

Most recent pic of my ugly mug as it is incase you want to put a face to the name FWIW: I have/Am an insomniac so just incase anyone thinks "WTF is that guy one of G.A.Romero's extras or what!?!" Nah, I just do not sleep much without ketamine shots. So not far off running on zombie auto-pilot to be honest

Oh forgot some stuff: Plan on/working towards opening some sort of studio not based between both My close friend's and my place with a decent sized area for a live room, a few iso booths and a tidy sized control room, Slowly We are stockpiling up gear and between us running short on space. That is something that is an ongoing aim as it ain't going to be an overnight thing at all. It works out well as we both excel in seperate areas but it does overlap. I have many albums worth of music tracked and mixed but I do not post/share much of it because I am not looking to get anywhere with my own works as I have done band things before (heck the first one I was In and am still really close friends with the Guy's get to tour alot, Support big name bands/acts, With all the talk about Slash for example they have done two tours with him/Myles Kennedy/his band and really pleased they are doing well, They do a modern rock type thing with classic influences that are easy enough to hear yet not a me too type sound, Which I dig not just as old friend's, They are good in thier own right, But is not at all the sort of thing my own stuff sounds like or my cup of tea!). Did my time at audio engineering school and all that but honestly learned more hands on and when doing the course found it to not really offer alot in terms of things I was not already doing fundamentally and the other areas were subjective than a right or wrong way of going about them. Having a few bits of paper saying Im a certified PT operator means jack shit anyway. Pet wise the kid's and myself have a few, A whippet called 'Roo', Ragdoll Kitten called 'Pixie', Budgie called 'Fudge' and 3 goldfish. I really enjoy true crime/non-fiction such as Serial killers, Cults/Cult Leaders and read books on the topics. I also ride a BMX but not in a stunt/trick style way rather just to get around as I do not drive and the medication I am on would not permit me to be able to drive anyway. That is one thing which frustrates me alot and is another goal I would like to achieve (I can drive but have no license or car anyway and would never do so unless I did and was allowed to). I think thats pretty much it.

WLTM Female into metal and guitar playing as much as I am , Nah again I have a female in my life already whom is awesome. Perhaps I am too open sometimes also but it is who I am and Can't do much about that

[robogone]

I'm 47 and was born in the south of England, but moved to the US 12 years ago. First to New Hampshire, then to the Carolinas. I'm married and have a 3 year old daughter.

Took some time out between school and college and tried to make it first as a musician, then as an actor but didn't make enough money doing either. Spent almost 10 years working in a recording studio, or in theatres or on the road as a stage manager and lighting designer (sometimes sound guy). In my 30s I mostly worked in the aerospace or consumer electronics manufacturing fields and for the past 8 or so years in finance. Right now I work in managing routines and governance around capital management (Basel accords if anyone knows what that is).

I play music as often as possible and currently own (and can play to the extent that I can play tunes on them) guitars, bass, mandolin, violin, harmonicas, keyboards, alto sax, trumpet, banjo, flute, bansuri, dizi, recorder, whistle. I read whenever I can, and have a huge collection of music that I play in the car on my 2 hours of commuting each day. It lacks tarnce and country and western but just about everything else is there.

[GaryG]

So, 44, married nearly a year with two kids sixteen and seven (we took our time...) Four cats and a rabbit. IT drone (programming, DB, app support side of things) in local government, have been since I left school. Born and bred in the south east of england, always lived by the sea, can't imagine not (though not an outdoor type at all, just like staring at it...) Fascinated by religion though don't find myself believing in any of them, don't eat meat, don't smoke, rarely drink, socialist with a little 's'...

Read when I can, contemporary/classic lit and scifi mainly, new scientist when i'm in the mood. Like film; good scifi (moon, district 9), quirky indie (wes anderson, hal hartley, charlie kaufman etc), seem drawn to documentaries more as I get older. Particularly fond of the studio Ghibli films too. Interested in art though no expert in the subject ('Pop Surrealism' would appear to be my niche). Really do listen to just about anything nowadays, maybe not real commercial pop/dance/r&b...

Play guitar and uke very badly (never had any music lessons and it shows). Pretty much given up trying to write conventional songs, all about ambience and field recordings and whatever I feel like appropriating nowadays. Dabble with reaktor and synthmaker to build custom devices. Like messing with real electronics too, built a few simple noise boxes to sample etc. Have a lapsteel kind of contraption on the drawing board at the moment.

Like the idea of cooking but terrible at it...