# Moma don’t allow no music in here.



## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

We have a thread on Composers hobbies, but how about yours?
so _*apart from music*_ what are your hobbies?

Mine are pretty straight forward:
I have always been a Car Nut and for the last 45 years have been able to indulge myself by way of having a Roadster Sports Car as a second car, there have been Jaguar XK 150s, a few Mgs and now what will be my last, a BMW Z3 3.0 Litre.

My other hobby is Golf, great for mixing with all kind of people and a good form of exercise for us retired oldies.

I also do a bit of photography but in a very amateurish way.

So What are your Hobbies and a bit about them.


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## PostMinimalist (May 14, 2008)

OK, I play chess but not too well. I was captain of our local second team for last season. No stories of glorious victories over grandmasters here. I never seem to find the time to get into the books enough to get my rating up!


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Erm... apart from music? Actually I'm getting into fencing, also have plans for equestrianism. But my best hobby is to squeeze air-blister plastic bags.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Mine is scenic photography ... I own a Nikon D40 (DSLR) with two lens mounts (18-55mm & 55-200mm).


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## nickgray (Sep 28, 2008)

Uhhh... none, I think. Although I do like computer games, but I haven't really played them a lot for a long time, I sort of managed to play all the good ones and it's really, really hard for me to find something good now, considering that post-~2000-2002 games suck and I played most of the good older ones...


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## Herzeleide (Feb 25, 2008)

Write poetry. Waste valuable time on internet forums.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

Oh, do let my discerning eye read a poem of yours..


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

I read a great deal of literature, listen to a great deal of music, compose a great deal of music and play a great deal of piano.


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## bassClef (Oct 29, 2006)

Cinema, cricket, reading, travel


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I was a free lance illustrator for about ten years -- genre pieces, no pretentious fine art here. I still dabble in it. At my peak I was trying to paint "fugues." It was just another way of thinking about visual composition. Except for the fact that music presents itself through time and non-animated visual art presents itself all at once, much of the compositional methods are similar. 

I think there is a great deal of crossover in the arts.

I puttered at writing, but as you can probably tell it isn't my forte.


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## Edmond-Dantes (Mar 20, 2009)

OK! So, here are my hobbies.

Hacking
Photography(Also my Profession.. well, one of them.)
Computer Programming
Reading Classical Literature
Dancing
Learning Foreign Languages
Reading About Foreign Places

...... ok, past that point, I think everything fits into the music category. ^^;;;;


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

One of my favorite hobbies is laughing at people who take themselves way too seriously and who are fake and pretentious. I enjoy doing that quite a bit.

I don't really have any other hobbies besides playing, listening, and composing music. Those are my main interests. I'm not really good at anything else.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

i play chess too, but only once on the board tournament,the rest is online chess. 

i read old mystery novel like agatha christie and the old sherlock holmes. like very much japanese thingy like anime, manga, games dll. i like gundam, naruto, etc.

soccer and badminton.

looks at and grow orchids.

and a lot more...


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## Edmond-Dantes (Mar 20, 2009)

JTech82 said:


> One of my favorite hobbies is laughing at people who take themselves way too seriously and who are fake and pretentious. I enjoy doing that quite a bit.
> 
> I don't really have any other hobbies besides playing, listening, and composing music. Those are my main interests. I'm not really good at anything else.


Lol. That is quite the hobby. =D

I just started composing music not very long ago. (I suck at the moment.) Are there any books on the subject that you would recommend?


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## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

Composing has been quite hard for me. I have started Op. 1 to about Op. 19 but none of them are even closed to being finished yet. It's like a cycle: I get an idea, expand on it, but school and sports prevent me from finishing it. Maybe in the summer (when I'm even busier).


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

Edmond-Dantes said:


> Lol. That is quite the hobby. =D
> 
> I just started composing music not very long ago. (I suck at the moment.) Are there any books on the subject that you would recommend?


Yes, here is a book I whole-heartedly recommend:










You may not be a "jazz" composer per se, but it has some very interesting ideas, especially about harmony and rhythm, which are probably my two strongest points as a composer. Melody is very hard for me to write for some reason. The harmonic and rhythmic aspect of music always seems to flow from me first.

This is why I'm such a fan of Ravel and Debussy. They, without question, compose great melodies, but I find their harmonic language to be very attractive and unique. It's more about color and texture with their music.

I don't use any "system" of composing. I pretty much sit down with my guitar in hand and when something hits me I write it down and work little-by-little to build these ideas up until they form something cohesive and that flows.


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## Edmond-Dantes (Mar 20, 2009)

Ah, thank you. No, I'm not a jazz composer, but a jazz fan. I'll definitly check out the book you recommend.

I'm more in-between being a harmonic composer and a melodic composer. I've written 4 songs for the piano, three of which were composed by the melody first, one of which was composed harmonically. Regardless though, I end up getting stuck and can't seem to make a good conclusion to my song. 

I HAVE started reading "Music Composition for Dummies" and am actually surprised at how informative it is for coming from a "Non-Music Book" company. Still though, I'd much rather disguss things such as music composition with somebody that has first hand experience. 

OH, I just realized that I hijacked this thread and started talking about music. ^_^;; Sorry everyone. Continue were you left off.

(Maybe we could just pm any remaining desire to converse we have.  )


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## Misakichi_mx (Sep 17, 2008)

Hmm, I'd have to say music related stuff is the only thing I do consistently...other than that:

Playing Tennis, Anime, Movies, Videogames, Befriending Stray Dogs, Vibration Analysis (but it's oriented towards musical Acoustics and part of my thesis so I guess that doesn't count)


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## Bgroovy2 (Mar 27, 2009)

I like to play with my digital camera. I do good at photo composition but the technical side will require a lot more work. I also have a 40 Gal fish aquarium that I like to play with. I curently have Discis fish in it!


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## R-F (Feb 12, 2008)

Hmmm, this is just like when I had to fill in a form for the German Exchange.

_Hobbies:_ MUSIC,..........and, er, breathing?

I do enjoy film a lot though, and anime. However over the past 6 months or so my main hobby has been revising for my exams. I should really be doing some Human Biology revision just now, but I think I already remember a decent amount* about the human blood circulatory system. I use it every day, after all!

*Oops, it's considered vulgar to use the word 'amount' in biology. Your paper basically gets torn to shreds if it's seen in an exam.


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## Herzeleide (Feb 25, 2008)

Bach said:


> Oh, do let my discerning eye read a poem of yours..


Here's a soppy Petrarchan sonnet in iambic pentameter:

Our friendship's wilting helplessly apart
My importunity resistable
And trivial; memories forgettable
My stertorous surrender that you'd depart
Swallows me whole; I know of no restart.
Too far asunder, plights insuperable
Your apathy assails me, palpable
Pleads to myself and you do fall athwart.
My letter repasses my thoughts by you
It proves fecund and finds quondam rapport
Shared by the two of us unknown for long.
The bond desiderated starts anew,
We talk astir, together now we soar
And form a chroma radiant, full and strong

Some of the syntax is less than desirable. Still, I took pleasure in fulfilling the criteria of a Petrarchan sonnet and certainly find more pleasure in this than half the wanky 'poetry' one sees about where people don't have the slightest clue of prosody. Anyway, it's just a bit of fun and I tend to write these things for the same reason that some people do crosswords.


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

Edmond-Dantes said:


> Ah, thank you. No, I'm not a jazz composer, but a jazz fan. I'll definitly check out the book you recommend.
> 
> I'm more in-between being a harmonic composer and a melodic composer. I've written 4 songs for the piano, three of which were composed by the melody first, one of which was composed harmonically. Regardless though, I end up getting stuck and can't seem to make a good conclusion to my song.
> 
> ...


Yeah pm me if you would like to talk about composition. We shouldn't take this detour any further.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

It's very attractive, Herzeleide. You have a great command over language. Don't be too afraid to use unelaborated lexis.. would be my only critical comment. I don't know how familiar you are with Auden, but I openly recommend him for inspiration..


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## marval (Oct 29, 2007)

Well I enjoy reading, especially the classics or at least something with a good story. I also enjoy doing crossowords, playing the computer at scrabble. I also like reading poetry and writing some (very badly.) Plus of course chatting online.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Well, music is by far my main passion in life, but I love to watch tennis - especially the majors.


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

jhar26 said:


> Well, music is by far my main passion in life, but I love to watch tennis - especially the majors.


I enjoy tennis pretty good too. Who's your favorite player? Mine will always be Martina Hingus. She's such a unique player. She has a very interesting strategy. She is, of course, retired now.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

JTech82 said:


> I enjoy tennis pretty good too. Who's your favorite player? Mine will always be Martina Hingus. She's such a unique player. She has a very interesting strategy. She is, of course, retired now.


Hingis was a genius. It was unfortunate for her that she entered the game at the time when because of those snowshoe sized modern rackets power became more important than technique. She nevertheless was able to compensate for her lack of physical strenght thanks to her amazing talent and tactical know-how. I think she was the most naturally gifted female player since Evonne Goolagong. Had she been around in the days of the wooden rackets I think her resume would have been as impressive as that of Court, Evert, Navratilova or Graf. Yes - I like Hingis very much.


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## PartisanRanger (Oct 19, 2008)

Like some others here, I have dabbled in chess. I tried e-mail correspondence chess tournaments for a while which was a lot of fun. Doing blitz games can be interesting, but I enjoy really thinking about a position for a while.

Otherwise, I have many hobbies. I'm on the collegiate road cycling team and have done about a dozen bike races. I also play a lot of basketball and video games and am something of a movie and history buff.


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## Herzeleide (Feb 25, 2008)

Bach said:


> It's very attractive, Herzeleide. You have a great command over language. Don't be too afraid to use unelaborated lexis.. would be my only critical comment. I don't know how familiar you are with Auden, but I openly recommend him for inspiration..


One of my favourite Auden poems is the following villanelle:

If I Could Tell You

Time will say nothing but I told you so,
Time only knows the price we have to pay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

If we should weep when clowns put on their show,
If we should stumble when musicians play,
Time will say nothing but I told you so.

There are no fortunes to be told, although,
Because I love you more than I can say,
If I could tell you I would let you know.

The winds must come from somewhere when they blow,
There must be reasons why the leaves decay;
Time will say nothing but I told you so.

Perhaps the roses really want to grow,
The vision seriously intends to stay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

Suppose all the lions get up and go,
And all the brooks and soldiers run away;
Will Time say nothing but I told you so?
If I could tell you I would let you know.


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## JoeGreen (Nov 17, 2008)

Edmond-Dantes said:


> I HAVE started reading "Music Composition for Dummies" and am actually surprised at how informative it is for coming from a "Non-Music Book" company. Still though, I'd much rather disguss things such as music composition with somebody that has first hand experience.


Don't be so surprised it might be by a Non-music company but they use Music People to write it.

As for other vices in my life I have few others outside Music but they would be in this order...

Online Gaming
Independent & Foreign Films
Comics and related media
Star Wars
Reading
and my atheism ( I'm quite the Heretic )

...everything else would propably be related to music in one form or another.


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## JTech82 (Feb 6, 2009)

jhar26 said:


> Hingis was a genius. It was unfortunate for her that she entered the game at the time when because of those snowshoe sized modern rackets power became more important than technique. She nevertheless was able to compensate for her lack of physical strenght thanks to her amazing talent and tactical know-how. I think she was the most naturally gifted female player since Evonne Goolagong. Had she been around in the days of the wooden rackets I think her resume would have been as impressive as that of Court, Evert, Navratilova or Graf. Yes - I like Hingis very much.


She was one of the all-time greats. I used to enjoy watching tennis. How about those Williams sisters? They're pretty darn good too.


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

Besides listening to and collecting Classical Music my hobbies are Cycling, Walking and watching Movies .


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

One of my most favourite pastimes is what the British call *faffing* - things that you do that don't amount to anything, don't have much of a point. Like faffing around with some friends, faffing on the internet (like this), faffing at a local cafe.

I also like *painting*, mainly impressionistic landscapes of Sydney harbour, the bridge, Opera House, etc. I'm much more into landscapes than portraits. Ditto with photography. But I haven't done this for many months.

& a current hobby (or is it a chore?) is *gardening*, which I do on weekends at my mother's house. Mainly involves removing weeds & plants that we no longer want there, & general maintenance.

I also like to occassionally go to the *movies & watch dvd's*, especially classic films, but also more recent arthouse ones too.


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## Herzeleide (Feb 25, 2008)

We tend to say 'faffing about': just doing miscellaneous activities of no great consequence.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

JTech82 said:


> She was one of the all-time greats. I used to enjoy watching tennis. How about those Williams sisters? They're pretty darn good too.


They are great, but I find their type of power tennis less attractive than the more crafty stuff from Hingis. Hard to argue against them when you take into account all that they have won though.


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