Unlike most of the posters above, I grew up in a musically-starved household. Growing up blue-collar with the wolf never too far from the door, music was not a priority in the family.

I was always fascinated by mathematics and the English language and started to realize that music might be a language too, with rules and structures of its own. From my crackly AM transistor radio, I could “see” paragraphs, sentences, call and answer, phrases, grammar and even punctuation in the songs I listened to. This fascinated me, it was almost magical.

So, I saved up my paper route money and started buying 45s and in high school bought a beat-up set of drums, and taught myself how to play by jamming along to rock classics, now on FM radio. Only recently I learned that I taught myself how to play left-handed even though I’m not a “south paw”. [Footnote: this is not derogatory in any way; you south paws have more symmetrical brains.]

Fast forward to 9 years ago I craved something more musical than percussion, so I bought a bass guitar, an amp and a Hal Leonard book. With YouTube and other online resources, I began teaching myself bass. Along the way I picked up an electronic keyboard and an e-drum pad. As soon as I discovered BiaB and this thing called the DAW, my skills began to grow.

These 4 fat strings are my primary instrument.

Interesting enough, music played a role in getting nice and close to the opposite sex, for sure not from being in a band but on the high school dance floor. I was one of the few guys that never saw them as having “cooties” plus I had rhythm. The girls were there to dance (and find husbands) so I and 3 other guys were in high demand.

Despite not having the music training and resources that others have described above while growing up, I’m having the time of my life studying, learning and interpreting this wonderful language called music. She is infinite and mighty pretty.

https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2025 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.