Raffi Bandazian

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."
From the great poet, drummer, astonishing human being Neil Peart.

With incense burning, and the computer monitor off, in the weeeee hours of the night.

Always gaining new experience. I have learned to be humble at a paid gig (a wedding or party for example), remember that you are there for the bride and groom or whoever [whomever? my B.A. in English fails me now. . . ] has hired you.
Remember that at a live gig, you are playing for the listener. The point of you creating music is to connect with the person on the other end of your sound. That is my experience. My ongoing experience.

A bunch of those software things you crazy kids make music with, das makintakin komputers, and many other electronic gadgets which annoy me more than they inspire me.

Please try the 'take' one more time, let's not punch in and out and pitch correct and such. Capture the experience of the performer. . . .

On the other hand, I have lots of plucked stringed instruments from West Asia (a.k.a. the Middle East).
Stringed: Oud, Saz, Cumbus.
Percussion: Dhol, dumbek, darbuka, durbeki (depending on how you spell it), dap,
Wind: Shvi
Piano. Did I mention piano?
Lots of pencils and staff paper.