Hi, I'm Emma and I'm a musicaholic.....this is starting to sound like an AA meeting!!

I first played an instrument at the age of 4....the penny whistle.....when my dad insisted I learnt Dubliner's songs on it.....so I soon ran away from that.

At the age of 7 i started recorder at primary school, which was ok.....it was easy and it got me reading music.

At age 9 I started to play the trumpet and this became the main focus of my life up until the age of 18. I used to be in orchestras and bands and I would go all over england with them playing concerts and I even went to Denmark and france with a couple of bands.

I drifted away from this when i went to uni though, but play again now.

At the age of 14 I started learning guitar...and at 15 I got an electric guitar and amp for christmas...I no longer play these instruments as I have forgotten my chords.

While at university I got dragged into a rapper team and thought about how much I liked the music...so I started on the Bodhran. I now play a seamus o'kane and it is my life....i feel lost if I do not play it at least once a day.....and it's so beautiful.....you can get scales out of it and play tunes on the thing!! I'll put CD's on just so I can drum along.....I have RSI in my wrist and arm and shoulder from playing and at the beginning of festival season my doctor told me not to play for 4 months......he nearly ended up neading a trip to hospital for treatment himself after saying that!! So, as you can see, I am hooked on the bodhran.

About 1 1/2 years ago I started playing the penny whistle.....and I love it. I have about 5/6 all in different keys....but I don't love playing them as much as I love playing my bodhran.....yes I know I'm sad!! Told ya I was a nutcase!! Guess that's how I found all these wierd people and ended up on the cat!!

I also own a djembi...which I love to play if I'm angry or down as it's so loud and I can relieve all my tension with it. It doesn't venture out into public too often though.

I also have an accorion which I tarted playing in august last year.....and i love playing that, and I've also got an amazing accordionist as a teacher (Sam Pirt), so what more could I want!

then, my housemate catsPHiddle invested in a flute and I love playing that.....I play it more than she does!!

I have also been known to dabble in such instruments as cornet, flugel horn, piano, pipe and tabor and I'm quite partial to playing my friends electric chanter!!

I also play the tambourine and the shaky egg!!

Do I qualify as hooked????

Jez xxxx ;) *bg*