Then, in August 1981, I was handed a bass. And all was made clear for me. All those strings, all that wood and wires suddenly made sense. Within a week of making the youthful smart mouth crack "I'll play that thing if nobody else will" I was doing my first show in front of real people for the Southern Gospel quartet Policeman's Quartet near Richmond, KY. And it's been one big downhill slide into the addicting world of being a musician (try being a teenager in the early to mid 80s and all its evil temptations while working most every weekend with a quartet of police officers).

High school was the requisite training ground of various garage bands and hacking off the neighbors by being too loud with the doors open. 1984 through 1985 saw things become more disciplined and serious spending a year with international music group Up With People, performing over 90 shows in 10 months and countless acoustic shows during the days at schools, malls, nursing homes, and anyone else who would have us. If anything, it was an enjoyably rude awakening to the rigors of touring (no roadies either) and an education beyond compare about the workings of touring life. Darn good for the fingers, too.

1985 through 1987 was spent playing for various bands in Miami, FL. Nothing that ever hit big, but more education galore.

In 1987, I moved to Nashville, TN, remaining there until mid 2005. Played in band after band after band. I attended Middle Tennessee State University in their Recording Industry Management program, as well as working for six years at their public radio jazz station, WMOT. Played in some festivals, played in the dives, played in the legendary dives, played in a lot of garages, basements, and storage units. Played with people who went on to greatness, and the rest of us who did not. And learned a tremendous amount about how the business side of Nashville works. My biggest claim to fame is nearly running over Ronnie Milsap with my car one rainy afternoon as he walked alone between his publishing building and a mastering facility next door. That was during a short stint interning for his publishing company. Almost not a smooth move.

And it was during my Nashville years I got my feet wet with computer based recording. 2000 was the year I finally bumped up to some decent equipment and began to understand the intricacies of all this recording with ones and zeroes.

2005 saw a move to Las Vegas, NV. A whole new world of bands to play with and also my getting involved with recording collaboration via the internet. A lot of that collaborating done with people who do this for a living, so there's no room for b.s. or faking one's way through. Tell me what you want on a track or mix and I would get there if humanly possible. No room for flopping in front of people who do this day in and day out. And it's been a ball ever since.

My current arsenal includes the following basses:

• Rickenbacker 4004 5 string (modified)
• Rickenbacker 4003 4 string
• Heartfield 5 string
• Eminence 5 string double bass

As well, I use several different mics, bass and guitar amplification, and direct input recording. So there is a good chance I can get the sound you seek for your projects - growling bass, distorted bass, or straight ahead bass...and anything between). Also on hand are various acoustic (6 and 12 string) and electric guitars (Strat, Washburn, and an off-brand baritone) and keyboard at my disposal if there is something along that route you need. And I have been know to pick up a mandolin or two under great duress to get the job done.

So that's my musical life in a nutshell. I don't even want to get into the dark underbelly side of my former life as a software writer.