Model Railroading and Musicians...

I played in working bands from 1968 until last year. Love playing. Hate loading, unloading, and setting up drums, at my age. Now I play with trains.

I play chords on a Martin nylon string, classical guitar to accompany singing.

My #1 musical passion is songwriting. I have written approximately 40 songs in various genres of music, in which arrangements and recordings have been made by Kinny Landrum of Sleepy Hollow, NY, who is a professional keyboard player, arranger and synthesizer. I met him in 2011 when I took his songwriting class at the Hudson Valley Writer's Center.

My songs include a video/song about model railroading, Who Am I (Rollin' By) copyrighted 2015 Arnold D. Cribari. You can access it on YouTube by putting my name in the YouTube search box.

I have also thought about this strong connection many of us have with both music and model trains. I think it has to do with the fact that both are forms of art and very creative endeavors. They both involve the imagination, dreaming, a need or desire to express oneself artistically, and daring to do it.

Great topic, Mark!.

Arnold 

Daring to do both model railroading and songwriting (or music) is expressed at the end of my above song:

"I'm a master model railroader and songwriter to boot,

Some people say I'm crazy, but I don't give a hoot, . . ."

LOL, Arnold

I'm a drummer.  I keep a vintage set my father and I restored to play every so often, but after playing in the various school bands (marching, concert, pep, jazz, orchestra) through high school, I was in a highland pipe and drum band, and now I play a drum for a revolutionary war parade group.

Music is on hiatus while I work on my doctorate.  But once that's over, it's back to music (and more trains) for me. That is "playing" in all senses of the word .

25-30 years on electric bass, electric guitar, mandolin, electric 5-string mandolin, lead vocals and harmonies.  

Back in the 70s, I was always one of the few women who played an electric instrument in a band.  It was always assumed I was the "girl singer" (ugh).  I didn't do lead vocals until I switched from bass to six string electric.  Just easier that way.

Rock and jazz are my prefered styles but I've played other kinds of music with friends/church gigs.  I played Country and Western when I lived in the sticks.  Most famous venues: Cafe Lena's in Saratoga Springs, NY and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC.  Most infamous: the Barre (MA) Hunt Club and maybe the Rochdale Cafe (where I was once greated at the door by the owner pointing a pistol at me!)

I recall there is a documented connection between music and people in the medical profession.  (True in my family.) So, why not trains?

For me, personally, I see a similarity in having a basic understanding of electronics and how to set up and care for things, but music has the whole performance aspect.  Trains for me are more about creating a little world and, when possible, sharing running trains in that world with others.

Tomlinson Run Railroad

AXP889 posted:

I'm a drummer.  I keep a vintage set my father and I restored to play every so often, but after playing in the various school bands (marching, concert, pep, jazz, orchestra) through high school, I was in a highland pipe and drum band, and now I play a drum for a revolutionary war parade group.

AXP889, the Highland band must have been fun.  And I love the fact that you and your father restored a drum set together.   Your current activity must be fun.  I'm in Mass. and there's a popular fife and drum group here.  Your post reminded me that, in 1976, I was the fife master for a recreated Revolutionary-era militia.  My love of history is definitely tied into a love of trains - real and model.

TRRR

Guys...what does this topic have to do with the focus of this forum.  Gosh, we could start any number of topics about the correlation between member's professions / avocations and model railroading...  There is a good reason why we don't have a "general discussions" category....because we want to keep the focus and discussion on O-gauge TRAINS and directly related topics.  If you want others to know what you do for a living then put that in your profile....