EDUCATION
Audio Institute of America, San Francisco, California
Recording Engineer Program
Subjects studied: Acoustics; session concepts, methods and techniques; mixing methods; digital home recording; independant record production; microphones; mic technique; instrument miking and equalization; recording live drums; studio construction methods; echo and reverberation; effects; equalizers; console operation; tape recorder operation and alignment; noise reduction; monitoring; editing; digital recording and midi; musical terminology.
Graduated July 2004 with honors certification as a Professional Recording Engineer. Click here to view my Certificate.
Musicians' Institute, Hollywood, California
Bass Institute of Technology (BIT)
Subjects studied: Playing Technique, Sightreading, Fingerboard Harmony, Live Playing Workshop, Harmony and Theory, Eartraining, Blues Bass, Rock Bass, Live Performance, Bass Superchops, Arranging, Pop Songwriting, Music Business.
Noted Instructors: Gary Willis, Share Pedersen, Jeff Berlin, Tim Bogert, Alexis Sklarevski, Jim Lacefield, Putter Smith, Paul Farnen, Richard Maloof, Nick Nolan, Les Wise and Paul Gilbert.
Attended clinics and open counseling with: Billy Sheehan, Stuart Hamm, Al Dimeola, Jack Bruce, Steve Smith, Gorge Strunz & Ardeshir Farah, Dave Weckl, Terry Bozzio, Vinnie Moore, Tommy Tedesco and Joe Diorio.
Graduated September 1988 with certification as a Professional Bass Player. Click here to view my Certificate.
Laramie Senior High School, Laramie, Wyoming
Class of 1986, obtained GED October, 1988
Subjects studied: Art, Graphic Arts, English, Literature, Guitar, Plainsmen Singers (sang bass/baritone), Concert Choir (sang baritone).
Note: The first year I was selected for the Plainsmen Singers, we were chosen to represent the state of Wyoming in the Young Americans National Show Choir competition in Pasadena, California, where we placed ninth out of fifty states. In both Plainsmen Singers and Concert Choir, I toured Wyoming and Colorado and performed at the Casper Jazz Festival.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Hurricane Hattie, Laramie, Wyoming
Type of Band: Quartet (Bass, Guitar, Keyboards + Rhythm Gtr., Drums, 5 Vocals)
Type of Music: Variety (Rock, Blues, Country, Punk, Pop)
Job description: Bass guitar, lead & background vocals, collaborative songwriting, creation and delegation of some vocal harmonies, some song selection, some sound engineering, equipment handling, some studio production. Also booked some shows, handled some advertising, marketing, and ALL graphic design.
Musician's Pro Shop, Laramie, Wyoming
Position: Customer service - Live Sound Engineer - Bass & Vocal Instructor
Salary: $7/hr. - $20/hr. - $30/hr.
Job description: Assisted customers, answered phones, some instrument repair, assorted cleaning duties, consulted on special orders; Engineering and troubleshooting of sound systems as needed. Taught all styles of music to all levels of bass and vocal students, specializing in intermediate through advanced.
Thunderground Sound Studios, 114 Grand Ave., Laramie, WY
Position: 2nd Engineer/Producer
Salary: $20-50/hr.
Job Description: Work includes mic placement, equipment setup as required for each session, soldering connections, troubleshooting of systems and repairs as needed; assist 1st Engineer with mixing and mastering as needed. Programming, setup and operation of all equipment, including signal processors, dynamics controllers, recorders, patchbays, etc. Apply production skills at the request of clients. 1st Engineer duties at the request of the client, or as required in the absence of the 1st Engineer.
Associated Student Technical Services (ASTEC), University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
Position: ASTEC Coordinator/ Live Sound Engineer/ Recording Engineer
Salary: $26K/yr.
Job Description: Overseeing the student-funded sound reinforcement service; rendering services on- and off-campus; hiring/firing, training and scheduling of all student sound technicians; all purchases, maintenance of equipment; scheduling of events; allocation of equipment; sound engineering upon request; consulting on permanent sound installations at UW; physical labor where needed.
Blinddog Smokin, Laramie, Wyoming
Type of Band: Quartet (Bass, Guitar, Vocals+Harmonica, Drums)
Type of Music: Blues/Rock
Job description: Bass guitar, some background vocals, some lead vocals, collaborative songwriting, creation and delegation of vocal harmonies, some song selection, some sound engineering, equipment handling, some studio production and engineering. Also booked some shows, handled relations with 200+ industry contacts, handled ALL advertising, marketing, and graphic design.
DOD band Bluestone, Mediterranean Circuit, Europe
Type of Band: Quartet (Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Drums)
Type of Music: Blues/Rock
Job description: Bass guitar, background vocals, sound engineering, equipment handling, some public relations
Badstone, Laramie, Wyoming
Type of Band: Trio (Bass + Vocals, Guitar, Drums)
Type of Music: Original Hard Rock with covers
Job description: Bass guitar, lead vocals, set list structuring, song selection, some sound engineering, assisted production and engineering of CD project, equipment handling. Also booked some shows, handled relations with 100+ industry contacts, handled all advertising, marketing, and graphic design.
Hangman's Jury, Laramie, Wyoming
Type of Band: Quintet (Bass, Vocals, 2 Guitars, Drums)
Type of Music: Classic Hard Rock
Job description: Bass guitar, background vocals, some lead vocals, deciphering and delegating vocal harmonies, some song endings, some set list structuring, some sound engineering, demo tape production, equipment setup, teardown and transportation. Also booked some shows, negotiated contract details, and handled all advertising, marketing, and graphic design.
Perfect Balance, Laramie, Wyoming
Type of Band: Trio (Bass +Vocals, Guitar, Drums)
Type of Music: Progressive Rock plus original songs
Job description: Bass guitar, lead vocals, co-wrote music and lyrics with guitarist, deciphering and delegating harmonies, set list structuring, booking some shows and negotiating contract details, equipment setup, teardown and transportation. Designed and printed all band advertisements, tape covers, posters and tickets, and some copyrighting of songs.
Evermore, Laramie, Wyoming
Type of Band: Trio (Bass + Vocals, Guitar, Drums)
Type of Music: Progressive Rock plus original songs
Job description: Bass guitar, some lead vocals, some background vocals, co-wrote music and lyrics with entire band, deciphering and delegating harmonies, some booking of shows, equipment setup, teardown and transportation. Designed and printed all band advertisements, tape covers, posters and tickets and band logo. Some copyrighting of songs.
Deep Six, Laramie, Wyoming
Type of Band: Quintet (Bass, Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Drums)
Type of Music: Contemporary Pop/Rock plus original songs
Job description: Bass guitar, some lead vocals, some background vocals, co-wrote music and lyrics with entire band, deciphering and delegating harmonies, some booking of shows, equipment setup, teardown and transportation. Designed and printed all band advertisements, tape covers, posters and tickets and band logo. Some copyrighting of songs.
Scorpio Music, Laramie, Wyoming
Position: In-house Bass Instructor
Salary: $20/hr.
Job description: Taught all styles of music to all levels of students, specializing in intermediate through advanced. Taught finger exercises, harmony and theory, two-handed tapping, slap-and-pop, and tone control.
Montage, Hollywood, California
Type of Band: Quartet (Bass, Vocals, Guitar, Drums)
Type of Music: Original Contemporary Rock
Job description: Bass guitar, background vocals, co-wrote music and lyrics with entire band, construction and delegation of harmonies, some booking of shows, equipment setup, teardown and transportation. Designed some band advertisements, some promotion, some copyrighting of songs, and person-to-person distribution of handbills.
Grim Rose, Laramie, Wyoming
Type of Band: Trio/Quartet (Bass + Vocals, Guitar[s], Drums)
Type of Music: Heavy Metal , plus originals
Job description: Bass guitar, lead vocals, co-wrote music and lyrics with entire band, some booking of shows, equipment setup, teardown and transportation. Designed some band advertisements, some promotion, some copyrighting of songs, and assisted recording engineer.
PROFESSIONAL RECORDINGS
Lucifer Large, A Time For New Spiders (CD) recorded 1999, not yet released
Wrote all music and lyrics, bass on all songs, all background vocals (except for featured vocalist Death Belial West), self-produced.
Blinddog Smokin, Demo (cassette) 1994:
Bass on all songs, all background vocals, shared songwriting and arranging.
Badstone, Badstone (CD and cassette) 1993:
Bass all songs, all lead and background vocals, shared songwriting and arranging. Co-produced.
Hangman's Jury, Demo (cassette) 1992:
Bass all songs, background vocals.
Deep Six, Demo (cassette) 1990:
Bass all songs except "Get Ready, Get Set", lead and background vocals, all songwriting and arranging on "Get Ready, Get Set".
Jason Coomes, Perfect Balance (cassette) 1989:
Bass on "Guitar Trek"
Damian Blair, Small Glowing Love Rock (cassette) 1986:
Bass on all songs.
PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCES
In the Los Angeles area:
The Whisky-A-GoGo (Hollywood), The Roxy Theatre (Hollywood), Gazzari's (Hollywood), Club Kaos (Hollywood), Osko's Cave (Hollywood), The Troubadour (Hollywood), Jezebel's (Anaheim), The Waters Club (San Pedro), FM Station (Burbank), Lady Jane's (Montrose), Musicians' Institute (Hollywood).
In Wyoming:
JJ's (Laramie), The Cowboy Bar (Laramie), The Beartree Tavern (Centennial), Laramie Jubilee Days Street Dance (Laramie), King Coal Days Street Dance (Hanna), Icehause (Laramie), Lovejoy's (Laramie), Coal Creek Coffee Co. (Laramie), DJ's (Rock Springs), The Commadore Bar (Wheatland), The Buckhorn Bar (Laramie), The Lincoln Theatre (Cheyenne), Mingle's Lounge (Laramie and Cheyenne), Alice Hardie Stevens Center (Laramie), The Fireside Lounge (Laramie), The Beer Gardens (Laramie), TD's (Laramie), Washington Park (Laramie), The Elks Club (Laramie), VFW #11 (Cheyenne), Van Velzor's Music (Cheyenne), Top Notch Records (Laramie), Jubilee Days (Laramie), Platte County Fair & Rodeo (Wheatland), Amnesty International Ball (Laramie), UW Student Union Ballroom (Laramie), Laramie Plains Civic Center Auditorium (Laramie), Optimist Park (Laramie), Prexy's Pasture (Laramie), Summit Rocks Music Festival '88 (Laramie), 1st Annual Laramie Guitar Contest (Laramie), Jeffrey's Bistro (Laramie), Wyo Grill (Laramie), Washakie Center (Laramie), Shooter's (Laramie), Blinddog City (Laramie), The Eagle's Nest (Cheyenne), The Mayflower (Cheyenne), Lost Iguana Grill (Laramie), Lotty's (Evanston), Second Street Cafe (Laramie), Prison Days (Rawlins), Taco Bell (Laramie).
In Colorado:
AJ's (Ft. Collins), The Old Town Ale House (Ft. Collins), Tangz (Ft. Collins), Linden's (Ft. Collins), County Cork (Ft. Collins), Brendans (Denver), Josephina's (Denver), La Primavera (Denver), City Spirit (Denver), The Alibi (Denver), Lion's Lair (Denver), Legends (Greeley), State Armory (Greeley), Herman's Hideaway (Denver).
In Utah:
Dead Goat Saloon (Salt Lake City)
Outside U.S. (numerous shows performed in the following countries):
Israel (Tel Aviv), Egypt (Sinai), Germany (Frankfurt), Turkey (Adana, Diyarbakir), Italy (Aviano, Vicenza, Ghedi-Torre, Montichiari, Lampedusa, Sellia Marina, Sigonella, Naples, San Vito, Piza), Greece (Iraklion, Araxos, Souda Bay), Spain (Moron, Torrejon, Madrid, Rota, Cadiz).
EQUIPMENT
2001 Peavey Grind 5-string bass, '91Custom Vester 5-string bass,'79 Custom Rickenbacker 4003 4-string bass, '69 Custom Rickenbacker 4001 4-string fretless bass, '75 National 4-string semi-hollow body electric bass, '77 Ventura Piccolo Bass, Peavey Pro Bass 500w Tube Bass Amplifier, Peavey MkIV 300w Bass Amplifier, 2 Peavey 2018 cabinets, ART SGX Nightbass SE bass preamp & multi-effects, ART X-15 Ultrafoot MIDI controller, Ibanez DM1000 Digital Delay, Audio Technica ATM-71 headset microphone.
MAJOR INFLUENCES
On Bass:
Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Stuart Hamm, Michael Manring, Jeff Berlin, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Roscoe Beck, Billy Sheehan, Fred Babich, Victor Wooten, John Patitucci, Brian Bromberg, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius
On Vocals:
Paul Rodgers, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Robert Plant, Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, Ray Gillen, Goran Edman, Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Eric Bloom, Jeff Lynne.
On Songwriting/Composition:
David Coverdale, Tony Iommi, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, W.A. Mozart, Tom Scholz, Barry Manilow, S. Rachmaninoff, R.J. Dio, F. Mendelsohn, M. Mussourgsky, N. Paganini, A. Lauro, Troy Howarth, Michael Manring, Joe Satriani, Jeff Beck, Steve Morse, Rush, Steve Vai, Kip Winger, Ritchie Blackmore, Randy Jackson, Jeff Lynne, Son House, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters.
