Grew up playing classical guitar but when I moved to a small village in France 12 years ago I made some friends who didn’t have a bassist in their group. So, next jam session I borrowed another friend’s acoustic bass to try it out. Since we were playing rock music rather loud and I didn’t have an amplifier nobody, including myself, could hear what I was playing but in my head it was amazing. The following week I found a used bass online in Toulouse so I made the three hour journey and bought my first bass.

I am still playing with the same drummer regularly but now I have a nice bass and a big amp so even the neighbors get to appreciate the bass thump n groove!

Lately I have been inspired by Reggae produced in the late 70’s and early 80’s which led me to this community here. I was born during the golden age of Reggae so I was probably conceived to it. That is the only way I can explain why it fulfills me in the way it does. It brings me memories from childhood. Even the smell of that rich medicinal plant transports me back to the living room from my early years.

Being a highly passionate and curious person, when something intrigues me, I explore it fully great enthusiasm. That is how I learned to brew beer and keep bees so now I do both for employment. Supplying beer to parties has given me connections to people making music and so now I have been drawn into the world of musicians in the area. This is exciting for me but also creates some internal conflict since I am also a father and husband. It is not easy to find balance between being a father, husband and creative musician who tends to go to bed extremely late. That’s life.

Thankfully, with the courses I have signed up for I will be able to learn an incredible amount in a relativity short period of time, all from the comfort of my own home…ha ha. Everyone wins and when the next jam session or gig comes up I will be able to really spice things up and get everyone dancing!

Oh, I forgot to mention that I play a little Marimba and even built my own soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas and they are in tune! When I was still back in Portland, Oregon where I grew up I took lessons for six months and my instructor showed me how to make them too. That is when I was first introduced into playing syncopated African grooves and that really resonated with me.

I need to research how to make resonators for them though because I forgot how and they really need them in an outdoor setting when playing with other electrified instruments.

As it turns out it seems that I was born to be an African Bassist because I love playing gigs for hours on end. Unfortunately my band members wimp out after playing for only three hours straight and that’s usually when I am just starting to feel warmed up!