Just another poster

[Ludders]

Hi,

Ant-Mac put me on to this place, so thought I'd introduce myself.
I'm a 60yr old ex-pat Brit living in Australia. I'm a long time fan of Sci-Fi and Cult TV, particularly '70s Dr Who, but I don't like the 21st century version. (To put it mildly)

I like quite a range of music.
It started as kid with my mum's Classical Music LPs, and my dad's fondness for '50s Rock 'n' Roll and bands like The Shadows.  In '77 I got into Punk/New Wave, and then  got into rock music, usually of the heavier variety such as Zep, Purple, Sabbath, and Motorhead. But my big passion in rock music became Hawkwind, who I followed for many years. 
Around this time I learned to play guitar and bass guitar, and joined my first band in 1980. After 10 years playing in local rock and blues bands, I got into Jazz after seeing a documentary about Django Reinhardt. At this point, I left my home town and moved to the city to become a self-employed musician, which I did successfully for about 20 years or so.

In 2012, I met my wife, who is Australian, and in 2018 she dragged me off to Melbourne, where I work in Healthcare. I don't really play much anymore, but I'm still an avid listener of Rock, Jazz, and Classical music in particular.
My political leaning is generally left-wing, but these days so many people seem to have such a reductive political outlook that I'm no longer sure about pigeon-holing myself, but I feel that I'm a spiritual lefty.
I hope that's not too much information for a 'Hello' post. 

[ant-mac]

Jul 20, 2023 4:53:25 GMT Ludders said:

Hi,

Ant-Mac put me on to this place, so thought I'd introduce myself.
I'm a 60yr old ex-pat Brit living in Australia. I'm a long time fan of Sci-Fi and Cult TV, particularly '70s Dr Who, but I don't like the 21st century version. (To put it mildly)

I like quite a range of music.
It started as kid with my mum's Classical Music LPs, and my dad's fondness for '50s Rock 'n' Roll and bands like The Shadows.  In '77 I got into Punk/New Wave, and then  got into rock music, usually of the heavier variety such as Zep, Purple, Sabbath, and Motorhead. But my big passion in rock music became Hawkwind, who I followed for many years. 
Around this time I learned to play guitar and bass guitar, and joined my first band in 1980. After 10 years playing in local rock and blues bands, I got into Jazz after seeing a documentary about Django Reinhardt. At this point, I left my home town and moved to the city to become a self-employed musician, which I did successfully for about 20 years or so.

In 2012, I met my wife, who is Australian, and in 2018 she dragged me off to Melbourne, where I work in Healthcare. I don't really play much anymore, but I'm still an avid listener of Rock, Jazz, and Classical music in particular.
My political leaning is generally left-wing, but these days so many people seem to have such a reductive political outlook that I'm no longer sure about pigeon-holing myself, but I feel that I'm a spiritual lefty.
I hope that's not too much information for a 'Hello' post. 

G'day, mate, glad you could make it.

I actually got a bit of a surprise when I saw your user name on the forum. 

[Ludders]

Strike while the iron's hot. 😁
And thanks for the recommendation.

[gardengirl1953]

Jul 20, 2023 4:53:25 GMT Ludders said:

Hi,

Ant-Mac put me on to this place, so thought I'd introduce myself.
I'm a 60yr old ex-pat Brit living in Australia. I'm a long time fan of Sci-Fi and Cult TV, particularly '70s Dr Who, but I don't like the 21st century version. (To put it mildly)

I like quite a range of music.
It started as kid with my mum's Classical Music LPs, and my dad's fondness for '50s Rock 'n' Roll and bands like The Shadows.  In '77 I got into Punk/New Wave, and then  got into rock music, usually of the heavier variety such as Zep, Purple, Sabbath, and Motorhead. But my big passion in rock music became Hawkwind, who I followed for many years. 
Around this time I learned to play guitar and bass guitar, and joined my first band in 1980. After 10 years playing in local rock and blues bands, I got into Jazz after seeing a documentary about Django Reinhardt. At this point, I left my home town and moved to the city to become a self-employed musician, which I did successfully for about 20 years or so.

In 2012, I met my wife, who is Australian, and in 2018 she dragged me off to Melbourne, where I work in Healthcare. I don't really play much anymore, but I'm still an avid listener of Rock, Jazz, and Classical music in particular.
My political leaning is generally left-wing, but these days so many people seem to have such a reductive political outlook that I'm no longer sure about pigeon-holing myself, but I feel that I'm a spiritual lefty.
I hope that's not too much information for a 'Hello' post. 

Ant-Mac is hard to resist when he makes a suggestion!

Welcome, new guy! I like your avatar! I too am a classical fan... Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and Albinoni.  Of the Bach, I prefer pipe organ music, played by E. Power Biggs, on the tracker-action Flentrop organ in the Busch-Reisinger Museum (which, of course, dates me, lol!) I actually had access to a true tracker-action Reuter organ in college, and learned to play just one adagio that was simple enough for a moderate piano player. I wish I could have learned how to play the Jig Fugue, but my talents were lacking.

I was a vocalist as a teen and young adult, sang in a church choir until I auditioned for the A Cappella choir at my high school, and got to sing classical music, in German and Latin (an entire Requiem Mass) and a bunch of cool stuff in college. I was a lyric soprano but could also sing tenor. Now I only sing along with my iPod when no one is around to hear.

Then, I grew fond of classic rock, an eclectic mix, but of course included Pink Floyd. I also like old R&B.

I have the utmost respect for those working in health care; I'm a cancer survivor, and was my husband's caregiver for the time he was terminally ill.  After he passed, I started reading about medical science, and if I were much younger, would have considered going into some research/lab occupation.  But I spent my life as a freelance children's book illustrator, and even in my 'golden' years I still photograph, paint and create fiber art.

My cultural education is sadly lacking, as Ant-Mac can verify... I've never watched any Dr. Who. But I was a Star Trek fan, up through the movie with Kirk and Picard, then I had way too much to do to watch much of anything - work and such.  My late husband was a Star Wars fan, but we got along fine on that front. I'm not very educated on movies, though I am a die-hard Die Hard fan, lol! On one of the previous message boards, it was a hotly debated topic, whether or not Die Hard (the original) was a Christmas movie.

I read a lot, criminal/forensic stuff, and some heavier stuff like the medical science and some novels. I have cats and dogs and goats on my rural property in Missouri, and care deeply about the environment. And I am a member of a cat rescue group and bottle-feed motherless little ones until they are old enough to be spayed or neutered and adopted.

Well, that's me in a nutshell, and I am a bit nutty, too!  I look forward to interacting with you here!

Edit: My political leanings are anti-Trump and everything he stands for, I voted for Obama twice and fear that the US hasn't long to remain a democratic republic.

And I hold the British Empire in high regard for inventing the gin and tonic! And not just for medicinal purposes, lol!

[Ludders]

Thank you for such fantastic response. I will come back to you on all your points when I'm less fatigued. I was in hospital myself over the last couple of days, (nothing as serious as as cancer, which I'm glad to hear that you beat) but the procedure knock me physically, much more than I expected it to.
But I do appreciate your post and I will definitely come back to you. 😊

[ant-mac]

Jul 24, 2023 14:15:29 GMT Ludders said:

Thank you for such fantastic response. I will come back to you on all your points when I'm less fatigued. I was in hospital myself over the last couple of days, (nothing as serious as as cancer, which I'm glad to hear that you beat) but the procedure knock me physically, much more than I expected it to.
But I do appreciate your post and I will definitely come back to you. 😊

Sorry to read of your problems, mate.

Hope you make a swift recovery.

[gardengirl1953]

Jul 24, 2023 14:15:29 GMT Ludders said:

Thank you for such fantastic response. I will come back to you on all your points when I'm less fatigued. I was in hospital myself over the last couple of days, (nothing as serious as as cancer, which I'm glad to hear that you beat) but the procedure knock me physically, much more than I expected it to.
But I do appreciate your post and I will definitely come back to you. 😊

Oh, I totally get being knackered after being in the hospital, and hope all is well and you recover quickly! It takes me at least a day to get back to normal, just having bloodwork drawn. Plus, the added stress of being out among a lot of people; I'm fairly reclusive. Get lots of rest, stay hydrated, you know the drill, I'm sure!

And don't forget, some alcohol, for medicinal purposes! I recommend a G & T; with the quinine, perhaps you can avoid malaria! Or does malaria just kick quinine's ass these days?

[Ludders]

Jul 22, 2023 17:34:04 GMT gardengirl1953 said:

Jul 20, 2023 4:53:25 GMT Ludders said:

Ant-Mac is hard to resist when he makes a suggestion!

Welcome, new guy! I like your avatar! I too am a classical fan... Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and Albinoni.  Of the Bach, I prefer pipe organ music, played by E. Power Biggs, on the tracker-action Flentrop organ in the Busch-Reisinger Museum (which, of course, dates me, lol!) I actually had access to a true tracker-action Reuter organ in college, and learned to play just one adagio that was simple enough for a moderate piano player. I wish I could have learned how to play the Jig Fugue, but my talents were lacking.

I was a vocalist as a teen and young adult, sang in a church choir until I auditioned for the A Cappella choir at my high school, and got to sing classical music, in German and Latin (an entire Requiem Mass) and a bunch of cool stuff in college. I was a lyric soprano but could also sing tenor. Now I only sing along with my iPod when no one is around to hear.

Then, I grew fond of classic rock, an eclectic mix, but of course included Pink Floyd. I also like old R&B.

I have the utmost respect for those working in health care; I'm a cancer survivor, and was my husband's caregiver for the time he was terminally ill.  After he passed, I started reading about medical science, and if I were much younger, would have considered going into some research/lab occupation.  But I spent my life as a freelance children's book illustrator, and even in my 'golden' years I still photograph, paint and create fiber art.

My cultural education is sadly lacking, as Ant-Mac can verify... I've never watched any Dr. Who. But I was a Star Trek fan, up through the movie with Kirk and Picard, then I had way too much to do to watch much of anything - work and such.  My late husband was a Star Wars fan, but we got along fine on that front. I'm not very educated on movies, though I am a die-hard Die Hard fan, lol! On one of the previous message boards, it was a hotly debated topic, whether or not Die Hard (the original) was a Christmas movie.

I read a lot, criminal/forensic stuff, and some heavier stuff like the medical science and some novels. I have cats and dogs and goats on my rural property in Missouri, and care deeply about the environment. And I am a member of a cat rescue group and bottle-feed motherless little ones until they are old enough to be spayed or neutered and adopted.

Well, that's me in a nutshell, and I am a bit nutty, too!  I look forward to interacting with you here!

Edit: My political leanings are anti-Trump and everything he stands for, I voted for Obama twice and fear that the US hasn't long to remain a democratic republic.

And I hold the British Empire in high regard for inventing the gin and tonic! And not just for medicinal purposes, lol!

Feeling much better now after spending a couple of days on a diet of pain killers which then necessitated laxatives. Probably too much information already so I'll stop there. 

Anyway, that was really interesting to find out those things about you.

Re Classical Music, I use the term in its 'umbrella' sense that everybody understands, rather than its 'strictly speaking' sense, which describes the era of music that falls between the Baroque and Romantic periods. Strictly speaking, I'm much more of a fan of the 'Romantic' era than the 'Classical' period.
So chronologically speaking, it all started with Beethoven for me, who is often seen as the bridge between Classical and Romantic; but since his 3rd Symphony (1805) is often marked as the beginning of romanticism in the history of classical music; it stands to reason that the majority of his work is of the Romantic period. For me personally however, he broke ranks with the Classical form as early as the famous Moonlight Sonata. (1801)
Anyway, before I get too boring (maybe it's already too late?)   I love the likes of Beethoven, Wagner, Bruckner, Faure, Chopin, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and many of those who straddle from Romantic period and then fully into the Twentieth Century period, such as Debussy, Mahler, Ravel, Sibelius, Rachmaninoff, Richard Strauss, Vaughan Williams, and most importantly Gustav Holst.
My mum liked the more popular classics, so as a kid I warmed to the likes of Beethoven's Fifth and the inevitable Moonlight Sonata (Adagio), amongst a whole load of other well known pieces. But my favourite LP of hers by a country mile, was Holst's: The Planets. It's still one of most played 'classical' CDs today.
I became infatuated with the music of Richard Wagner for a number of years, albeit largely for orchestral work, not the actual opera so much. My mum had an LP called 'Orchestral Fireworks', which included the 'Magic Fire Music', and later a friend loaned me one of the many compilations of orchestral pieces and overtures from the operas. I find his music utterly breath-taking and unique. The Prelude and Leibestod from Tristan und Isolde is possibly my favourite piece of 'classical' music of all time.
As a musician I was never classically trained, and can't read a note of music without reverting to 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favours'. I learned to play by ear, listening to the likes of Led Zeppelin. But the for me the power of music is through emotion, not technical things for their own sake.

I'm glad to see you mention Pink Floyd. I like a lot of their work, though not all of it, and some of it remains unheard, so I perhaps can't regard myself as a fan, in quite the same way as I could Hawkwind, or Led Zep.
I do tend to like the earlier stuff though, from around '68 to '75 or so. I was first introduced to them properly when I saw Pink Floyd at Pompeii at the cinema sometime in '79. I loved it, and immediately rushed out and bought 'A Saucerful of Secrets' and 'Meddle'. Which along with 'Dark Side of the Moon', remain my favourite Floyd albums.
Must admit, I didn't like The Wall that much. Obviously the concept was clever, but I found it a bit depressing and have never managed to warm to it very much. I carried on collecting their back-catalogue, but their contemporary stuff was subsumed by my interest to the point of obsession, with other bands.

Re Star Trek, I'm just old enough to remember its debut on British TV in 1969, at which point I was aged 6.
Over the next few years I grew much more familiar with it, watching it with my dad on a weekly basis. I loved the series and the characters, even though as an older fan I realised the decline in quality during its final season.
When the first movie came out, I felt it lacked the characterisation that held the tv show together, and tried too hard to emulate 2001: A Space Odyssey, which although it's one of my favourite SF films, I find Star Trek: The Motion Picture rather dull with its endless 'tunnels' moving towards Voyager. I enjoyed the the next two movies much more, but I felt that ST IV: The Voyage Home was too much like a Disney movie for my tastes. The last one I really liked was The Undiscovered Country, the last one with ALL the original crew. After that, I wasn't really fussed.
I did actually start reading Pocket Books' original Star Trek novels. Some of which were excellent, but I git fed up with them eventually.
It took me ages to accept The Next Generation, and its still not a favourite, but I can cherry pick a number of really good episodes. Similar with Deep Space Nine and Voyager. They've done some good stuff, but not consistently. I quite liked Enterprise, which was odd because nobody else seemed to do. As for latest ones, I've found Discovery largely dull, but have quite enjoyed Strange New Worlds, so far. The JJ Abrams movies are terrible though.

I'm very sorry to read of the loss of your husband, but I'm delighted to read of your work as a children's book illustrator, (I loved the illustrations in Enid Blyton books I read as a younger child) and that you have maintained an active interest in in art, and creative arts. My wife loves fabrics and is an avid quilter. I've witnessed first hand how much time and effort goes into this, but the end result are really quite marvellous.

I always had cats myself, though my wife is more of a natural dog-lover. But when she first came over from Aus to the UK, we adopted an older stray who had been abandoned. The vet estimated he was around 10 years old. He was a Tuxedo cat, and it didn't take her long to fall in love with him. We had him for 4 years, but when we re-located to Aus, we couldn't take him with us because of his age. It was very sad for us, but left him with a good home, and 5 years later he's still going strong at around 19 years old.   We don't pets at the moment because of where we live, but it's complicated to explain. We hope in a couple of years to be able to have another cat though. 

It sounds nice where you live. My step-daughter married an American guy, and live up in Washington State, on a little piece of land up near Puget Sound. I don't know if you could call it a farmstead, but they have about 20 hens, a few beehives, and outdoor cats to keep the rodents away. And the outbuildings would be big enough to live in, by UK standards. 
By being an anti-Trump, past Obama voter, you get the thumbs up from me, and I judge you as: sane.  The British Empire is a complex topic. Undoubtedly, the legacy has left good things in its wake, but some not so good things too.
Anyway, Once again, a pleasure to meet you. 

[Ludders]

Jul 24, 2023 16:24:29 GMT ant-mac said:

Jul 24, 2023 14:15:29 GMT Ludders said:

Thank you for such fantastic response. I will come back to you on all your points when I'm less fatigued. I was in hospital myself over the last couple of days, (nothing as serious as as cancer, which I'm glad to hear that you beat) but the procedure knock me physically, much more than I expected it to.
But I do appreciate your post and I will definitely come back to you. 😊

Sorry to read of your problems, mate.

Hope you make a swift recovery.

Thanks mate. I'm getting there now. Back to work next week.

[gardengirl1953]

Jul 26, 2023 7:33:47 GMT Ludders said:

Jul 22, 2023 17:34:04 GMT gardengirl1953 said:

Ant-Mac is hard to resist when he makes a suggestion!

Welcome, new guy! I like your avatar! I too am a classical fan... Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and Albinoni.  Of the Bach, I prefer pipe organ music, played by E. Power Biggs, on the tracker-action Flentrop organ in the Busch-Reisinger Museum (which, of course, dates me, lol!) I actually had access to a true tracker-action Reuter organ in college, and learned to play just one adagio that was simple enough for a moderate piano player. I wish I could have learned how to play the Jig Fugue, but my talents were lacking.

I was a vocalist as a teen and young adult, sang in a church choir until I auditioned for the A Cappella choir at my high school, and got to sing classical music, in German and Latin (an entire Requiem Mass) and a bunch of cool stuff in college. I was a lyric soprano but could also sing tenor. Now I only sing along with my iPod when no one is around to hear.

Then, I grew fond of classic rock, an eclectic mix, but of course included Pink Floyd. I also like old R&B.

I have the utmost respect for those working in health care; I'm a cancer survivor, and was my husband's caregiver for the time he was terminally ill.  After he passed, I started reading about medical science, and if I were much younger, would have considered going into some research/lab occupation.  But I spent my life as a freelance children's book illustrator, and even in my 'golden' years I still photograph, paint and create fiber art.

My cultural education is sadly lacking, as Ant-Mac can verify... I've never watched any Dr. Who. But I was a Star Trek fan, up through the movie with Kirk and Picard, then I had way too much to do to watch much of anything - work and such.  My late husband was a Star Wars fan, but we got along fine on that front. I'm not very educated on movies, though I am a die-hard Die Hard fan, lol! On one of the previous message boards, it was a hotly debated topic, whether or not Die Hard (the original) was a Christmas movie.

I read a lot, criminal/forensic stuff, and some heavier stuff like the medical science and some novels. I have cats and dogs and goats on my rural property in Missouri, and care deeply about the environment. And I am a member of a cat rescue group and bottle-feed motherless little ones until they are old enough to be spayed or neutered and adopted.

Well, that's me in a nutshell, and I am a bit nutty, too!  I look forward to interacting with you here!

Edit: My political leanings are anti-Trump and everything he stands for, I voted for Obama twice and fear that the US hasn't long to remain a democratic republic.

And I hold the British Empire in high regard for inventing the gin and tonic! And not just for medicinal purposes, lol!

Feeling much better now after spending a couple of days on a diet of pain killers which then necessitated laxatives. Probably too much information already so I'll stop there. 

Anyway, that was really interesting to find out those things about you.

Re Classical Music, I use the term in its 'umbrella' sense that everybody understands, rather than its 'strictly speaking' sense, which describes the era of music that falls between the Baroque and Romantic periods. Strictly speaking, I'm much more of a fan of the 'Romantic' era than the 'Classical' period.
So chronologically speaking, it all started with Beethoven for me, who is often seen as the bridge between Classical and Romantic; but since his 3rd Symphony (1805) is often marked as the beginning of romanticism in the history of classical music; it stands to reason that the majority of his work is of the Romantic period. For me personally however, he broke ranks with the Classical form as early as the famous Moonlight Sonata. (1801)
Anyway, before I get too boring (maybe it's already too late?)   I love the likes of Beethoven, Wagner, Bruckner, Faure, Chopin, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and many of those who straddle from Romantic period and then fully into the Twentieth Century period, such as Debussy, Mahler, Ravel, Sibelius, Rachmaninoff, Richard Strauss, Vaughan Williams, and most importantly Gustav Holst.
My mum liked the more popular classics, so as a kid I warmed to the likes of Beethoven's Fifth and the inevitable Moonlight Sonata (Adagio), amongst a whole load of other well known pieces. But my favourite LP of hers by a country mile, was Holst's: The Planets. It's still one of most played 'classical' CDs today.
I became infatuated with the music of Richard Wagner for a number of years, albeit largely for orchestral work, not the actual opera so much. My mum had an LP called 'Orchestral Fireworks', which included the 'Magic Fire Music', and later a friend loaned me one of the many compilations of orchestral pieces and overtures from the operas. I find his music utterly breath-taking and unique. The Prelude and Leibestod from Tristan und Isolde is possibly my favourite piece of 'classical' music of all time.
As a musician I was never classically trained, and can't read a note of music without reverting to 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favours'. I learned to play by ear, listening to the likes of Led Zeppelin. But the for me the power of music is through emotion, not technical things for their own sake.

I'm glad to see you mention Pink Floyd. I like a lot of their work, though not all of it, and some of it remains unheard, so I perhaps can't regard myself as a fan, in quite the same way as I could Hawkwind, or Led Zep.
I do tend to like the earlier stuff though, from around '68 to '75 or so. I was first introduced to them properly when I saw Pink Floyd at Pompeii at the cinema sometime in '79. I loved it, and immediately rushed out and bought 'A Saucerful of Secrets' and 'Meddle'. Which along with 'Dark Side of the Moon', remain my favourite Floyd albums.
Must admit, I didn't like The Wall that much. Obviously the concept was clever, but I found it a bit depressing and have never managed to warm to it very much. I carried on collecting their back-catalogue, but their contemporary stuff was subsumed by my interest to the point of obsession, with other bands.

Re Star Trek, I'm just old enough to remember its debut on British TV in 1969, at which point I was aged 6.
Over the next few years I grew much more familiar with it, watching it with my dad on a weekly basis. I loved the series and the characters, even though as an older fan I realised the decline in quality during its final season.
When the first movie came out, I felt it lacked the characterisation that held the tv show together, and tried too hard to emulate 2001: A Space Odyssey, which although it's one of my favourite SF films, I find Star Trek: The Motion Picture rather dull with its endless 'tunnels' moving towards Voyager. I enjoyed the the next two movies much more, but I felt that ST IV: The Voyage Home was too much like a Disney movie for my tastes. The last one I really liked was The Undiscovered Country, the last one with ALL the original crew. After that, I wasn't really fussed.
I did actually start reading Pocket Books' original Star Trek novels. Some of which were excellent, but I git fed up with them eventually.
It took me ages to accept The Next Generation, and its still not a favourite, but I can cherry pick a number of really good episodes. Similar with Deep Space Nine and Voyager. They've done some good stuff, but not consistently. I quite liked Enterprise, which was odd because nobody else seemed to do. As for latest ones, I've found Discovery largely dull, but have quite enjoyed Strange New Worlds, so far. The JJ Abrams movies are terrible though.

I'm very sorry to read of the loss of your husband, but I'm delighted to read of your work as a children's book illustrator, (I loved the illustrations in Enid Blyton books I read as a younger child) and that you have maintained an active interest in in art, and creative arts. My wife loves fabrics and is an avid quilter. I've witnessed first hand how much time and effort goes into this, but the end result are really quite marvellous.

I always had cats myself, though my wife is more of a natural dog-lover. But when she first came over from Aus to the UK, we adopted an older stray who had been abandoned. The vet estimated he was around 10 years old. He was a Tuxedo cat, and it didn't take her long to fall in love with him. We had him for 4 years, but when we re-located to Aus, we couldn't take him with us because of his age. It was very sad for us, but left him with a good home, and 5 years later he's still going strong at around 19 years old.   We don't pets at the moment because of where we live, but it's complicated to explain. We hope in a couple of years to be able to have another cat though. 

It sounds nice where you live. My step-daughter married an American guy, and live up in Washington State, on a little piece of land up near Puget Sound. I don't know if you could call it a farmstead, but they have about 20 hens, a few beehives, and outdoor cats to keep the rodents away. And the outbuildings would be big enough to live in, by UK standards. 
By being an anti-Trump, past Obama voter, you get the thumbs up from me, and I judge you as: sane.  The British Empire is a complex topic. Undoubtedly, the legacy has left good things in its wake, but some not so good things too.
Anyway, Once again, a pleasure to meet you. 

A pleasure to meet you, too! And FYI, I know all about side effects of pain killers, I take Vicodin for severe migraine headaches, so not TMI 

My very first exposure to classical music was piano lessons, though I didn't go far.  But I did learn to play the "Moonlight Sonata". But in 6th grade, we had a music appreciation class, and I fell in love with Smetana's "The Moldau". Years later, I met my husband, and he had a full range of albums of multiple composers. All the composers you mentioned are familiar to me, my husband like a wide range of music.  His favorites were Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Mozart. Every July 4th Independence Day, he would turn up the volume on the "1812 Overture" while we watched the neighbors' fireworks.

I still have all the albums and CDs he owned. But what I listen to most is on a nice, small iPod.  It has all my classical favorites and classical rock favorites.  And a few other oddball things; from Buddhist meditation music to Etta James "At Last". I got to see Tina Turner twice, live - once, in college when Ike was still around, and the second time in a live outdoor concert with just Tina.  She was a phenomenal performer; I went with a newspaper photographer with a press pass, so I got to see, and hear, from up front!

My intro to Pink Floyd was via the radio, and I liked everything I heard.  I eventually got a few CDs and heard stuff they didn't play on the radio, like "High Hopes" and "Learning to Fly". I never had an absolute favorite band; I just knew what I liked when I heard it.

Star Trek, the original, some of "The Next Generation" and the movies up to "Next Generation" were what I am familiar with.  Then I just ran out of time to watch TV or go to the movies. Work and familial duties. Plus, I was kind of just done with 'new mythologies'.  I'd studied enough of the old ones, comparative religion, etc., and just focused on my reality at the time.

I do enjoy reading about history; "The farther back you look, the further ahead you can see".  Humans today rarely look at the past to avoid making future mistakes. I am glad that I am older, and probably won't be around when climate change really gets ugly, and this over-populated Earth starts struggling again for resources.

My favorite illustrators were Cicely Mary Barker, Beatrix Potter and Arthur Rackham. I and your wife would probably get along like a house on fire - FABRICS!!!! There is a meme I have seen online, with a photo of George Clooney, the text is something like "you've had a tough week, let's go fabric shopping". 

I've always loved all animals, cats being a favorite, and my husband was a dog person until he met my Siamese cat.  They used to play hide and seek together; he thought that particular cat was more like a dog in personality. Or a member of an alien race that interbred with monkeys and cats.  He was a big-time sci-fi guy.

I am purely envious of your step-daughter - Washington State was where my husband lived, before he moved to the Midwest, and he took me out there to visit many times! The Olympic Peninsula is my idea of paradise.  Where I live is beautiful, too, but not the same way as Washington State. We have lots of trees and rivers and hills, but no ocean or mountains.  I just wish that my fellow Missourians were still Democrats. Everyone around me seems to be a Trumper. I stay pretty quiet about such things in public.  Trumpers are a scary lot.

I hope your health issue continues to improve; being sick sucks! I wish I could send real flowers! Get well soon!