Calibrating the Search for a Musical Instrument -- and...

... guess what? This is the 100th posting on Randy Lyons' Health Blog!! This has become someting totally wonderful and a great source of comfort, inspiration, and peace. Thank you all -- posters and non-posters alike -- for making this blog come alive. (Just the idea that our dino buddy from Australia can exchange thoughts with our dear friend the nun in Emmitsburg, Maryland OR that a museum curator in Alberta, Canada can read what my sister in Baltimore has to contribute through this medium is so intoxicating!!)

And nothing we've chatted about on the blog has been as much fun as the wonderful suggestions for a musical instrument. Which is what the rest of this posting is all about. Given the wide variety of suggestions (yowza!), I'd like to add a few parameters and some additional information to the search to help things along:

-- first, I've never been any good at tuning a stringed musical instrument. I find it terribly frustrating. And that goes for the 5-string banjo that's been sitting in my closet for years. Right next to the guitar. So the idea of the hammer dulcimer -- which has a beautiful sound but a bazillion strings -- I think doesn't make the final list of possibilities.

-- second, I'd like to work on an instrument that I can play all by itself or with others. And my collection of percussion instruments -- which includes two dumbeks, a djimbe, and a home-made bodhran (an Irish frame drum) -- sits idle, waiting for someone to play along with. I guess this is my lack of imagination or commitment or something...

-- third, I'd like it to be a reasonably serious instrument, which will help me learn something academic about music theory. (One of the nicest parts of my Indian music lessons was learning what ragas really are -- and why it's so hard for so many Westerners to grab hold of this concept.) Anyway, this precludes adding to my "fou-fou" collection of musical instruments, which includes a slide whistle, a set of wooden spoons, several nose whistles (please don't ask about these...), two kalimbas, and on and on...

So my plan is to check with a cello teacher -- which I hope to track down by way of my local music store -- to confirm or correct the idea that I would need to keep my fingernails short. And if that is a requirement, to talk about an electronic keyboard and some reasonably serious lessons in musical theory and proper keyboard fingering. Goodness knows that a keyboard gizmo is easier to cart around than a cello! And is not affected by the weather. And can be played with earphones so as not to bother the neighborhood cats.

So thanks to all of you for your wonderful suggestions. Please keep them coming!