Usually I outsource this part because I find it very tough to roll out the red carpet on myself and explain to the masses how grand I am, so I'll keep it real simple this time:
I started out playing clubs and bars around 1989. Some great times...learned a lot about hooks and what makes people sing them.
I decided in 2000 to write my first solo album. If I knew what it would entail, I probably would of never started the project (I kid..I kid) I truely am blessed with great friends that know how to play their instruments well (and for this project, a great friend who could mix like no other). I basically wrote, engineered, and produced (all while learning how to do the middle one) and wore many hats. Some hats complemented me (I generally tend to look better in black) while others made me look worse.
So with my bad mixing hat, I took my project and headed off to my friend's basement (if HE knew now that we would be spending about two months off and on in HIS basement, I am sure he probably would not of agreed and said that he had some type of ear trauma) He helped shape the record and mastered all the songs. I still owe him big time.
So with my batch of Face In The Crowd cds (btw: which this run is almost sold out and when they are sold out, your copy instantly becomes a collectors item) I played more bars and clubs and did my best bass-o-matic sales pitch and sold a bunch of cds.
Fast forward a couple more years and found myself not getting up as sprite as I used to after coming home after gigs in the late hours (or early hours of the next day, take your pick). Music has always been a passion of mine and still burns strong in the ol' chest cavity. So I had to think of another altnernative.
Going door to door in my neighborhood, playing my new songs to the surprise (some would probably use the word shock in this case) just was not working. It was really tough getting the tomato stains out of my prized acoustic guitar.
So I came up with MUSIC LICENSING. I could write and record my own original tunes and pitch them to television and film.
So with the songs off my first cd, I dove into the internet and started to try and find some leads. Surprisingly enough, in about a couple months, I had songs airing on several MTV shows.
THIS was my answer (insert halleluiah choir music here)
Some people would sell their souls and start writing heavy metal polkas at this point, but not me. I still had integrity (fast forward 2 more years and I do lose that....but man, that kazoo waltz sounded INCREDIBLE). But in this instance, I would be writing the songs that I normally would write to play out or record on a cd, but in this case, they are on television.
In 2007, I built up my library of instrumentals and songs to the point where I wanted to do something for me...why yes, another cd. (If I actually had a memory and remembered all the stuff that I had to go through with the first cd, I never would of started a second one) In this case, it's a good thing that I have no memory. I say this not because I'm "that guy"...you know, the one who complains about everything...the salt coming out too fast, his #2 pencils being out of height order, or why people can be so insanely stupid that they believe there is no Yeti....it's because the task is quite a large order when you write, play, record, produce, mix (and sometimes master) your own material.
Again, with the help of my incredibly nice friends that double as awesome musicians, I was able to put together a cohesive album that put a nice timestamp on where I was musically. That album was called Searching For Signal.
As I continued to write more material for licensing, I found myself on over 100 different network shows. Of course, nobody knows that I'm "that guy playing that background music between those two lovebirds in the VW", but alas...this gives me the drive to conquer more shows and expand my musical horizon (and offset the cost of my original cds...a definite plus)
So that leads us to now.
I am happy to state that my #3 is officially in the works. I am currently working on pre-production demos and things are sounding pretty good (plus, I still have all my marbles...ok, the one is cracked, but the majority look good)
Signing off...
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