About Me

For those that don't know me, I am a 44 year old male, have been trying to make a career for myself out of my love and knowledge of computers; have been a musician since age 14 playing bass and drums and singing. I'm single and have been for so long now I can't remember what it feels like to be with someone else, but that's OK because I've enjoyed being single for almost as long.

The first pic below represents a time in my life when I think I was probably the least prosperous, but ironically the happiest. (Or at least the most content) It also represents what I was basically doing for a living at the time. Because of career responsibilities, I had to stop completely for a couple of years, then just never found the right people here to play with, but really didn't look too hard either. Ironically, it was my best friend Duane (who fancies himself a bass player) who got me back into playing again.  He got me to do a Lordi tribute for halloween '06. Costumes, music, stage show and all. (check it out on the music page)

Well, I have since then I've gotten back into playing again somewhat seriously. I've auditioned/played with 6 different bands since then, the first one actually gigging every weekend, lasted almost 6 months before the personality conflicts began to set in, the second lasted almost 10 weeks until I started to express some ideas of my own and they didn't even get listened to, to the third one who are probably the second best band as a whole I've ever played with, but are so fucked up in the head that I just don't care to deal with them ever again, to my last band that was a heavy harmony, very eclectic type of band that I can't really put a label on - country, blues, rock and a little jazz and jam band in there as well. Again, personality and professional differences just wouldn't allow us to play together for more than a few months. Again, really too bad as it was one of the better original bands I had been in.   

Needle in a haystack my friends... Needle in a haystack...   

I am currently playing with 2 bands who couldn't be more different than black and white, light or dark. They're pretty different. .

Legend is an arena rock tribute band with some pretty impressive sound gear and some real potential to do some serious gigging if we can get our act together as a group.

Joe Getty and the Dead Flowers is a roots rock, country-ish, folksy type of band. All original music, written by Joe Getty and Richard Austin. Some really cool stuff that defies description. You have to hear it for yourselves. Check the links on the LINKS page under music if interested.

I've been unemployed more often than not in the last decade of my life and I really don't know why other than I don't have papers saying that I know how to do what I know how to do. Frustrated is understating the feeling I've had for the last 8 years, but, I am thankful for what I have. It's a lot more than a lot of people in this world.

Luckily, I was hired by IBM as a contractor back in April. I'm looking to learn a lot form this place (and have already) and hoping it'll be enough to make them want me permanently.

Here's a more recent pic for reference... which is now 3 years old although the only thing that's changed in that time is that my hair is shorter and my waistline is wider now.

I'm relatively happy at the moment, so I'm enjoying my new found luck while it lasts, because it usually doesn't for long.