And the Winner is...

So many of you were good enough to make recommendations for a new musical instrument for me -- since my lower lip isn't co-operating for my flutes and/or harmonicas. (No decent pucker, if you'll recall... See "A Remarkably Short Cello Career" posting from earlier this month.)

I'm still so pleased to think about all your wonderful suggestions. (And special thanks to Adam who, at a recent practice session of the Turks Head Jugglers made a face-to-face appeal to consider building a Theremin!)

Anyway, I've come to a decision, and felt it only fair to share it with you. The winner is: an electronic keyboard.

What's that you say? Dull, prosaic, and unimaginative? Yeah, I kind of feel the same way. But here are the "plusses":

-- I don't have to tune it.
-- I won't have to fret about humidity and the instrument splitting in the dryness of winter. (Did somebody say "fret"? Is that like "worry"?)
-- There are lots of styles with different features -- and the price of a reasonably sophisticated keyboard is roughly equivalent to 4 month's rent of a cello.
-- It won't take up a lot of room around the house.
-- It's highly portable.
-- There are tons of sheet music available -- of the widest variety imaginable.
-- It will help me learn more about musical theory.
-- There are a bundle of teachers readily available nearby.
-- I can plug in a set of headphones and practice -- without driving Ms Debbie crazy.
-- It will be equally suitable for solo work or playing with others.
-- I can ask serious keyboard musicians to show me stuff on my instrument.

And, for reasons most of you will understand immediately, I would ask you never to ask me to play. For at least six months. Or longer. Probably longer. Maybe much longer.

We'll see...