Physicians of note share their love for music.(THE REST OF YOUR LIFE)

In 1964, when C. Wright Pinson, M.D., was just 11 years old, he bought his first set of Ludwig drums.

The price tag was $300, "which was 100% of my net worth at the time," quipped Dr. Pinson, professor of surgery and chief medical officer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.

Dr. Pinson went on to play in garage bands as a teenager and through his college years.

After medical school, Dr. Pinson played the drums "from time to time," but not on a regular basis. That changed in the summer of 1998, when Vanderbilt University Medical Center CEO Norman B. Urmy, a guitarist, invited him to a jam session with other university colleagues. The effort led to the formation of a band that initially called itself "Five Middle-Aged Guys and a Chick."

The band renamed itself Soul Incision, and this year released its second CD, "Wide Open," a collection of staples you'd expect to hear at a wedding reception, including "We Are Family" and "I Will Survive" (www.soulincision.com).

The band plays several gigs a year from coast to coast, including fund-raisers, weddings, and medical conferences, and has even shared the stage with notable names such as Charlie Daniels, Billy Dean, Vince Gill, and Delbert McClinton.

"Everybody in this band is a type A personality," said Dr. Pinson, who uses the set of Ludwig drums he purchased as an 11-year-old when the band performs live. "Everybody really works at their part and tries to get good at it."