All my life, music has held a special place in my heart. When I was in elementary school, we were taught to play the recorder and "Hot Cross Buns" was my jam! We also had a few acoustic guitar lessons, which planted the seed in me to grow into the instrumentalist I am today. In 6th grade I picked up the trumpet and seemed to have a natural ability with it, but after an inability to play the Hawaii 5-0 theme song after only months of practice, I called it quits. That was far from the end of my musical journey, however. 

Sometime around 8th grade, I picked up my first bass guitar and amplifier. I practiced often, and received instructional help from my good friends who were guitarists. After some time, I got to the point where I was capable enough to jam with friends and even perform in front of large audiences, and some of my best memories come from those experiences. I've played open mics, talent shows, and many a garage sess. I've had my fair share of failed attempts at creating a band that never got very far, but it was still fun. 

As my talent grew, my gigging setup improved as well. I went from a cheap 20-watt amp to a 200-watt Acoustic brand one, and I love thumping on that with my nice Peavey Milestone III bass. I also acquired an acoustic guitar, and an electric guitar that my dad has had for nearly 50 years. As a bassist, I'm nothing exceptional, and that's completely okay by me. I pushed to the point where I can learn to play just about any song I want and that's all I really need. I was voted "Most Musical" by my high school as a senior, though I thought "Best Hair" would have been more accurate with my locks. I can't even read traditional music, but I'll take it either way! 

I don't play as much as I used to with my busy life these days, but the therapeutic aspect of laying down some riffs is still invaluable for me. I have been saving my change in a mason jar for years now to get my dream bass, a Gibson Thunderbird, and I'm still far but no less committed to it. Aside from that, I aspire to improve at drumming and the ukelele, and maybe even learn to play that old banjo that lives in my closet. Whether it's an instrument or some other form of artistic expression, I encourage you to find something that makes you as happy as playing the bass does for me.