Hi all, I figured since I've been lurking on here for a few days I'd join the forums, and I've already received some great help.  So first, a little about me.

I'm married, 27 years old, and I am dual majoring in Sociology and the German language.  I plan to go for my P.H.D. in Sociology, but that's a while from now .  I started playing music when I was about 12, with the Harmonica, then guitar, mandolin, stand-up bass, and a wee bit of piano.  All of these I was self taught, as I play by ear.  I'm trying to learn music theory and how to spot read music, as I'm sure most of you know we who play by ear tend to cheat and not read the notes, so it's difficult to learn.  I finally started making my own music using random notes and timings so I couldn't cheat.  

I recently got a violin as an early Christmas present for my wife, and while I mostly grew up playing bluegrass and old rock, I want to learn classical pieces as well on this instrument.  (I'm a sucker for Mozart or Tchaikovsky)

I have a lot of hobbies, depending on my mood or the time of year, such as bushcraft camping, reading, gaming, leather working,I'm also a magician, and so on lol.

Lastly, I have synesthesia.  This causes symptoms sometimes similar to dyslexia, but more.  Mine is most prominent with sound.  I process sounds as colors.  Different sounds have different colors, shapes, and textures for me.  It's very hard to explain, much like describing the smell of a banana to someone born without the ability to smell .  Anyway, it makes music very interesting to me, and makes playing by ear easy for me as well.

Looking forward to learning and playing with all of you