What a gift you have given me by taking the time to write these thoughtful responses. Thank you for what you have given me so far. I read everything, and two things in particular resonated.

First was the acoustic duo. I began on acoustic and was inspired by the folk-rock music of the mid to late 1960s. Two people who sing and play together make some of the most beautiful and appealing sounds I know. Lately I have been more electric and electronic, and I haven't played my acoustic in a very long time. I have fresh set of D'Addario phosphor-bronze strings on the coffee table. It's time I put them on and find someone local to jam with.

The other is sound. I am at least as much in love with the vibrations themselves as I am with organizing them into music. I remember placing my ear on the upper bout if my acoustic, hitting a single note, and listening until it died out. Later, when I got my first electric guitar and amp, I would sit in the dark playing with notes and tone and reverb. I spent as much time getting sound effects out of my analog synth as I did using it as a musical instrument.

Thank you all for reminding me where this all started. You have laid out clear, simple steps that I can easily follow. This is wonderful.

"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."