CLSNA' LamontCentral Forum

I have played music since I was roughly 8 years old.  But, in my pre-Full-Time-Musician life, I was an engineer.  I have a BSEE from NCSU.  Before getting engineering work, I laid out PC boards, did drafting, etc.

I worked for Exide Power Systems Division designing large Uninterruptible Power Supply systems for a couple of years, then, when Exide was sold, I left and worked for Litton Amecom designing circuits for Air Traffic Control Communications Systems.  Then I worked for Dun + Bradstreet in one of their corporate resource companies designing circuits for, building and finally field servicing their Voice Response Units (what you get when you call D&B for a credit check on a company).

The last place I worked was for Nortel.  I worked for 4-1/2 years as a software verification engineer, in which position my job was to break things.  I was good at it.  Then, when layoffs started in the very late 90s, they "did me a favor" and transferred me to a "safe" job (read - a job from which I could not be laid off, even if I wanted to be).  As good as the first position was with them, this last one was from the pit of hell for me.  I stayed in it for 2-1/2 years, as long as I could stand it, and since they couldn't/wouldn't lay me off, I resigned and began my time as a full-time musician.

For the computer geeks among us, I used PCs for work and at home until I found Linux.  I had an old 133MHz PC that would run Windows 3.1 and Linux Red Hat 6.0, and that's when I changed.  At Nortel, we worked on HP workstations which ran on UNIX, so Linux was great at home.  When I went into music full-time, I got rid of the PCs and bought an iMac.  I since bought a MacBook Pro, as well, for my business, and my wife, Brandy, has a MacBook.  I love Macs!

We visited Ireland from 2002 through 2008, and I became involved in doing a video documentary on the Hammered Dulcimer in Co. Antrim, and one of the dulcimer players there we met and with whom we became friends lived in Larne (where the Lamont Youngs/Whites/Greens/Sittlingtons settled).  So, I have a Professional Certificate in Documentary Studies from The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, and am working on finishing up this dulcimer documentary.

We moved from Raleigh, NC, to Chattanooga, TN, in 2007 through the ArtsMove program.  Though I'm still trying to figure out how to make a living doing music here with what I do, we have not regretted our move here one minute. 

I have one CD (Of Things To Come...) out, and am working on the documentary and on a second CD.  More on these in the Craftsmens Guild.


-- Edited by LarneMan on Thursday 25th of June 2009 05:28:33 PM