The Inspiration —————————————————————————————-

Who would ever think that feeling left out could change someone’s life? All around your friends are doing something so cool but you have no way to participate with them. To make you feel better, they let you run the sound board.

It was the beginning of high school and I was looking for something, but I didn’t know what. My brother and some friends started a band called Full View. I thought it was so cool and they were pretty good but because I didn’t play anything or sing, there was nothing for me to do. So I ran the sound.

Full View was short lived and dissipated when everyone went to college. For some reason, my brother had some extra money and decided to buy a bass. I remember thinking “Why on earth is he wasting his money on that?” Little did I know…

He bought the bass, a Fender Squier P-Bass, and it sat there at his house unused. Well I thought it would be cool to play around with it and see what I could do, so he let me borrow it. That was the start of a new page in my book.

I loved it. It was exhilarating and gave me a total adrenaline rush. I didn’t know anything about music but something about the bass (the feeling more than the sound) just sucked me in. About 8 months after I started playing, my brother realized that he wasn’t going to get his bass back. So for my 17th birthday he made the bass officially mine. I loved that bass but I wanted more. I saved and I saved and when the time came, I bought it. An Ibanez Ergodyne Series EDB-605. Its a 5-string and Pewter Gray in color. It’s beautiful. I still hadn’t gotten around to buying a decent amp yet but that time was coming soon.

The Beginning —————————————————————————————-

My public bass playing started in the youth group at Trinity Assembly. A guitarist by the name of Steve Sager asked me to play with him. He was amazing at guitar. He was able to teach me the basics of the bass and get me started. After he left the church, I remained in the youth band and took an even bigger role in the band. It was left on the shoulders of a few teenagers. We did our best.

All during this time, I was still the soundman for the main services on Sunday. The worship leader (Darron Francis) said he saw potential in me. He wanted me to start playing on Sunday mornings. I was to rotate with the other bass player Rodney. I was so excited but I was scared. My first few weeks up there I was like a statue, glued to my music. Finally I adjusted to the way larger crowd and was able to relax. A while later I found out that during my first few months of playing Darron had the sound man turn me off in the system. I was pretty ticked. I stayed in the rotation with Rodney until I left for college. During these few years, I was able to play in Jamaica, at outdoor block parties, and at several different events around the area. My experience was growing. Darron had a way of stretching me as far as possible but it made me better.

It was hard to give up that position at Trinity when I left for college. I fought and struggled with it for a long time. My pain was eased when an old friend of mine asked me to play in a worship band at UCF. I agreed. It was so cool!! He managed to get this guitarst, my former roomate John Robinson, to play with us. He was something. I was really impressed with his style and abilities. He was good with the effects and I had never played with someone that actually used effects. As a band we got really good. We played every Monday night for Chi Alpha and had the opportunity to play in some churches and even some regional events. This is the band where I met my future wife, Erin. Eventually, we both felt that God was leading us away from that band and we left.

The Transition —————————————————————————————-

I never expected to be much of a musician since I started so late, but God had other plans. My new church, Destiny Church, had an awesome band. I thought it would be cool to play with a band like that. I approached the bassist (a 30 year veteran of the bass) and told him that if he ever wanted a week off I would fill in for him. Well it turned out that the next week he approached me and asked if I would take over his position. I was so excited. This was special to me because it was the first thing I did musically that was by my own talents and not by association. I had a lot of fun in that band. I got to play with some really awesome musicians and I learned a lot. Then it got even better when my friend Daniel came to be the worship leader. He had energy, a great voice, and he dominated the sax. To make it even better, he was into all the songs and styles that I was into. Once again I felt that God was calling me away from that church so I reluctantly gave up my position trusting that God would lead me.

After we married Erin decided to find a church suitable for both of us and we started attending Discovery Church in Downtown Orlando. Only one word can describe this church….revolutionary!! I have never seen so much organization and time go into preparing for a church service. Well within a few weeks of attending I had a meeting with the worship leader there to see if he needed a bass player. I got more than I bargained for. He put me in contact with the director of children’s ministries. I became a bass player for the Ozone Kids worship team. It sounds like a step backwards but as I said, this church is revolutionary. The kids band is very professional.

Not long after I started playing there I met with the kids director again and she asked me to take on the job of band leader. I have taken this as a big responsibility and am excited to get to work with these kids. I have been given the privledge of helping to lead these kids into the Holy of Holies.

In December of 2003 I stepped down from my post to put my full energy into my final semester of school. I played with a few other Discovery bands as a fill in for the regular guys but it was only every once in a while. After I graduated in May 2004 I moved to Philadelphia to start my first job.

The Now —————————————————————————————-

With a wife a 2 kids it can be hard to find time to get away and work on my recordings. Every once in a while I get inspired and crank one out. I recently started playing bass in my church band after a four year hiatus. Its great to be back up there providing the bottom end.