I grew up on a dairy farm in Knowlton Wisconsin, which is about 15 miles south of Wausau, but currently reside in Stevens Point.  My first experience with music was taking piano lessons when I was in the fourth grade.  That lasted for about two years, until I regretably begged my parents to let me quit.  Then in the sixth grade I joined the middle school band playing trumpet.  This became my primary instrument all the way through my early college years while I majored in music education.

 

I first picked up a guitar when I was twelve years old, but didn't really become interested in playing it until I was about fourteen.  My cousin taught my the song "1979" by the Smashing Pumpkins, and that was all I needed to rev me up.  I started out jamming to Green Day, Metallica, AC/DC, and Guns N' Roses.

 

Some friends and I started a band that never really got anywhere, but playing with them helped me to learn to read off of other people and brush up on my improvisation.  When our bass player moved away, I took over the low end and just fell in love with it.  All of a sudden I was into the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Primus.

 

A buddy of mine from work introduced me to Ugly Stick.  I went to see a show in early December of 2006 and was really impressed by both their sound and by their variety and selection of music.  Somehow they ended up getting a hold of me a month later when they found out that they were going to be in need of a bassist.  This is the first "real" band that I've ever played in, and I don't think that there is anything that could make this experience any better than it already has been.