Leonard H Williams     Sat, 8 Jan 2000 23:38:39 -0600
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	I am Leonard Williams, 48, of Lancaster PA in the USA.   I work as an
optician (ophthalmic optical lab technician).  I'm married, with two
childeren and a stinky, fat beagle.
	My musicianship began in elementary school where I started on violin,
switched to double bass, and ended up on tuba, which I liked most of the
three. I got interested in early music in a round about way:  as teenager
I got a recorder, then making a revival as a folksy sort of instrument--I
didn't know its history.  When I discovered that there was a whole mess
of real music to play on the thing, my early music interest grew.  Next I
set my sights on a lute upon hearing a Julian Bream album.  I've been
playing since about '74, but I took a nearly 10 year break to catch up on
tuning.  Really, I quit because my lute was set up for thumb out playing
and I really liked thumb under but couldn't afford another instrument at
the time and the instrument itself became an obstacle.
	I also play all voices of recorder, tenor rackett, cornetto, tromba
marina and hurdy-gurdy.  I built the latter two.  I performed for a while
in a semi-professional group called Oriana, but stopped to spend more
time with my family and do mucho home repair and remodelling.  I still
kept up with playing for my own enjoyment, and two years ago, upon
preparing a presentation on Elizabethan music for one of my sons classes,
I discovered that I could still read tab and play my lute (I couldn't do
the period justice without a lute!).  I was inspired to order a "proper"
lute, which I received this past summer:  an 8 course by Richard Fletcher
which I really love.
	I have to admit I've never been big on early music scholarship--I just
like playing the stuff and learning to play and about all sorts of
instruments.  I would like to build an aeolian harp, which requires no
playing (the wind does it) but should be fun to make and fiddle around
with, possibly annoying neighbors who have annoying wind chimes.

Cheers!