Chess players who are also musicians

That guy's gotta be pretty old to have been participating in something in 199.

I'm an accompanist (piano player) on staff at Humboldt State University in Northern CA and a chess player, USCF circa 2150.  My teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Paul Hersh (a fantastic pianist and violist), is a roughly expert strength chess player as well. We used to play together in some of my lessons. :)

I used to be a professional pianist for a while.  I have played the piano for the past 12 years.  I also play the French horn and have performed in several performances there as well, including all-state band and orchestra concerts, and can play the most awful instrument, the mellophone. 

The mellophone I only have had exerience with in the marching band, to which I have devoted my time for a while.  I have performed three concertos, one with an entire orchestra behind me.  I almost forgot how my college went to a bowl game this year, so I had a night to party on Beale Street! 

A few years ago, I was an active composer of music as well.  Nowadays, I lack the time to really devote my time to compose a piece.  I have written several pieces, one of which impressed a composer so much that he gave me an autographed copy of one of his pieces.

I have been in more competitions than I could ever count, playing many pieces with the piano and French Horn. 

Me too. I'm a guitarist playing avant-garde jazz and contemporary improvisation.

I studied guitar, composition, and music theory at UMASS-Dartmouth where I received a BA in Theory/Composition.

http://www.myspace.com/kevinfrenette

Started playing/studying chess during the summer of 2010 -- so it's a work in progress -- but I really love it and look forward to improving as the years go by.

So nice to see all the musicians who also play chess, that makes you guys even more intelligent, sophisticated, smart and cool :) 

Yes, absolutely. I'm a songwriter, and piano/guitar player, and I love chess, but I'm a lot better at writing music than winning chess games.

'serious' ? i'm familiar with the term and it's usages- somewhat aligned with specific music types (Euro-Classical for  example)

Good thread idea, though!

Yea, there are lots of musicians who play chess- but there are lots of otherwise occupied chess enthusiasts.

I've heard many times that music and math align in terms of brain function, but take that with a grain of salt..(it's prpbably true for some types of music more than others - or perhaps  different instruments. Vocalists have to lead with there intuitive/analog brain whereas some instrumentalist like  drummers or bassists must excel at hearing their part against the whole ensemble.

Problem in comparing: Different types of music require much different cognition. A top level musician in a  symphony orchestra will often have problems with an African cowbell rhythm that is considered relatively basic by those more nurtured on rhythm and interlocking metrical patterns... and so on it goes...music is a lot of things to a lot of people. I love both.. my Occupation has always been music. My kids are musical and are passing me in chess though they are 14, 11. I'm not a fast learner with  chess.  Went from 600's to low 900's in the last year, likely to keep improving but obviously not going to become a chess teacher ever