I started in music about thirty years ago, living with a band that played roadhouse blues, country, and '70s rock. They were good friends, and being around them got me into blues guitar. I played for seven years and tinkered with keyboards on the side.
In the '90s I got pulled toward production. ACID Pro let me build tracks out of samples, and Cakewalk let me record MIDI and synths. I set up a small studio in my apartment, made demos for a few other bands, and kept going. I wrote lyrics the whole time.
Then I took a long break from music. When I came back, I bought an electronic drum kit, took lessons for a couple of years, and learned to play. I also fell for EDM and learned to produce it in Ableton Live.
Today I write the lyrics and use generative AI to build the music I hear in my head around them. Not everyone is sold on that yet. I don't play as much as I used to, but this gets my songs out of my head and in front of people, and I love it.
I don't stick to one genre. I'm drawn to modern country for its rock edge and storytelling. I still love the blues from my years in the clubs. I'm a sucker for '70s Southern rock and yacht rock. The hard part is writing lyrics that mean something, then finding the sound that tells the story best, whether that's country, rock, blues, or a mix.