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The Joy Of Being A Musician

As my 47th birthday has been approaching, I’ve been reflecting on a few things… OK, it’s more because of the fact that for my birthday Greg bought me a 12 string Takamine guitar and I’m going to town!…

Yes, I can already play “Tambourine Man”!

Where was I…  Oh yes.  As my birthday approached, I’ve been reflecting on my life, and those things that have helped me become a better, more confident person. As a kid, I had absolutely no confidence in myself at all. Learning to dive in high school was a good start, and i still remember throwing that one “Perfect Dive” that will stay with me for as long as the brain cells are still firing. But, becoming a bass player, and musician, has probably made the more tremendous difference in my life.

Don’t get me wrong, the Sonic-Mate soars above all else, but that is a topic for a different post. i want to talk about music on this one.

I’ve been thinking about the various bands that I’ve been a member of that have been a great influences on my life.

Here are a few.

Tribe Called Mike – My first band in college. OK… We were horrible musicians…  I take that back. We weren’t horrible…. But we weren’t that good either. But we had a great time, and I was forced to sing and play bass in that band. That set the stage for my next misadventures.

RareForm – My long-time San Diego band. These quality musicians chose to have me play bass with them. Though looking back I should have, I didn’t have any confidence at all as a bass player, and these guys helped me recognize I was better than my low self image would allow me to admit.

Chris Plays Guitar – What a great creative experience. I got to write my own bass lines, record two great albums in a professional studio setting (thanks Pete Wolf), and, most of all, got to watch a group of younger musicians grow to become excellent musicians and songwriters in their own right. Patrick Reetz is one of the most creating songwriters I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with…  And Chris…  Er Tweed…  You’ve become so much more than I could have imagined when we first started out.

Acoustic Highway – I love doing harmonies and have always been very good at it, but i never really got a chance to open up and let my talent fly until I became a member of this band. It’s a dream come true really. I used to HATE doing falsetto, but, in no small part, thanks to the prodding of the master Steve Kuykendhal, now I am very comfortable reaching for the sky. You should hear us do “Seven Bridges Road”!

Taylor Martin – That you so much Jim Rust for helping me fulfill the desire to do a Simon and Garfunkel type band, and teaching me how to play acoustic guitar!

Oh yeah…  Cliff….  I now have a 12 string! Can already play “Tambourine Man”!!!!  🙂