Piano player, having done so for over 30 years. This was supposed to be a career back when I was a child, but thankfully, that career was cut short by injuries! That also killed off my violin / viola playing (on a regular basis). Classically trained, and my strength is in the field of technical learning. I'm a terrible sight-reader, and need to learn things one step at a time, but the finished product is as good as any.
I did dabble with keyboards back in my college days, enjoying my affiliation with a couple of bands. Nothing really serious, and neither band lasted for more than two gigs. I just didn't have the time after that.
These days, I still play the piano on a regular basis, but it's for the true enjoyment of the music. It's no longer about competition, and trying to be better than the others, but rather, for my own pleasure. Now that I can truly appreciate enjoying the music, I honestly believe that mentally, I'm a better player than I ever was prior to the injuries.
I don't have a grand piano in my own house these days. The house has 1400 sq ft of space, and with all of my computer gear, shooting gear (including a work bench with a reloading press), and other stuff, there's really no room for one. I did, however, buy a Kawai 290 digital piano. Great digital piano, and true hammer-action weighted keys make for a realistic feel. The sound banks are also excellent, and dare I say, almost as good as a grand acoustic?
This digital piano is somewhat portable when broken down, and I do play for weddings, both as a piano player, and as an organ player (fake organ, since I use the digital setting of "Church Organ"). Fortunately, the number of friends remaining who would hire my services are dwindling, since almost all of them are married now!
