It would take me nearly into my early teen years to begin to really tag down the direction of where my musical taste would take me. I have always enjoyed the hard driving guitar sounds of such greats as Van Halen, Hendrix and others. In the day of my growing into my musical taste, which was in the '70's, it would not take me long to have it all figured out!
Obviously with any up and coming musician there are the usual stumbles along the way and now that I have a flavor of sorts nailed out it is vital to be able to produce the quality sound that I am looking for and at the decibel that would nearly rattle the heaven's with a sound that would capture the attention of nearly everyone who would have the opportunity of hearing it! I am almost sure that my first official concert was at my High School, Kenton Ridge High, and the name of the group that played there was Scram! For some of you who may be on my Facebook page and are graduates from there may quite possibly remember what I am talking about. In fact, I am almost sure that the concert was either the first year or second year that the school was open. None the less it was on to bigger and better things for me. Obviously, I was looking to create a new era of whaling guitar sounds along with the wonderful harmonics that I had heard from some of the greatest guitar players around the world!
I was looking for my music to produce and take me into a new aura of sorts and that it did and so much more that came along with that period of time in my life! Just as I was starting to break into my teen years and enjoying the whole musical revolution that was going on in my life, so came a whole birage of other items such as drugs and alcohol.
I realize that this was quite common amongst many of my peers who were following along sort of the same path as myself. Some of us just dove in quite a bit harder and had to learn about life the hard way! I am convinced, though, that often times that is the best way to learn about it. I realize after having children of my own that we often times try to prevent this but when you really stop to take a close hard look at it that was in fact the best way to learn about life. No safety nets in place to break your fall and parents standing back seeing what was going to take place next without loosing their minds. Does any of this sound familiar too you? As my musical taste grew into something special unfortunately so did my tastes of drugs that were associated to that era in time. I had started experimenting with barbiturates, opiates and just about anything I could swallow up or smoke up! My life was in a whirl wind and a whole plethora of colors that were not blending to well. Fortunately after several snags in life involving drugs and alcohol I was able to pull myself up and out of that muck and move on with my music.
I have to seriously equate my musical experience to that of a hydrogen collide r in the fact that when two particles are smashed together it makes a unique blend of something wonderful.
So would it be for my music and the direction that it would take me. After several years and many attempts to form groups that would pass with time as quick as the hands of the clock were moving I would look into a completely and different direction. Rather than maintain my pursuit of music as a player I would now begin to form my own company and collection of equipment to produce complete stage shows from sounds, lighting and transportation. Me already having a vast collection of expectations of what it should sound like from the audience perspective gave me a step up and would finally lead me into my destiny.
Trying to reach the sounds that we wanted to achieve and produce certainly did not come cheap nor easy. We had to start a capital investment company thanks in part to my parents in order to be able to fund what would turn into ten's of thousands of dollars in audio and production equipment. Talk about making you sweat it out....imagine you are the pilot of a new company and are nearly $70,000 in debt starting out on equipment and venture capital. It would not take us long to start to acquire several large shows and make a name for ourself in the audio and recording industry and soon all would be well with the direction we would be heading in. Having been born and raised in Ohio it was not hard to find up and coming bands that were looking to make a unique name and branding for themselves.
Trying to bring it all into the scope of things if you will takes more than just a keen ear and a couple pieces of equipment. This was one of our first hired production specialists that would travel with us and start our venture of "Audio Venture, Inc". We had done several hundred shows over the years and traveled with many well known bands and tours. It was one of the most exciting times that I had ever experienced in my life!
Of course with all things that rise quickly to the top they must all come tumbling down and tumble down they did and quick and hard! Most generally in the music industry you experience a lot of life that is not experienced by a lot of others and party was the word of the day. Obviously I had women galore and was all about enjoying each of them. Finally, I would eventually marry and my first one was a train wreck from the word go. I had married what I thought was my high school sweetheart only to realize that she was not the one who was the one I wanted to marry. The one I wanted to marry went her own separate way and I would loose track of her up until the present time. As my luck would have it she is now married and lives in Florida. I am blessed enough, though, to be able to have some contact with her and since we have found each other again to say it has been a blessing is such a major understatement.
With the rise to the top I would eventually have to experience the fall of defeat when I allowed my drug usage to take control over my life and cost me my business and nearly everything I and my parents had to keep me out of trouble. So the end of what could have been a multi-million dollar empire in the making was short lived and would dissolve into the great abyss of life.
So here we are now and realizing all the wonderful things that have happened to me throughout life and wondering what I can do to begin to reclaim them and put my life back on track of where I would like for it to be! Obviously, to get myself back into the position that I once was will take a great deal of persistence as well as some venture capital from outside sources and when your credit has been destroyed by past mistakes this is by no means an easy undertaking.
However, I know who I am and where I came from and where I want to be and I will not stop at anything from allowing me to pursue my dreams and I will make them all come together again in the end of it all.
Are you willing to help me and help what is going to be one of the greatest risings of music for your ears come back into existence? Stand with us and let's work together to make it all happen. This is a once in a lifetime chance and I encourage each of you with music in your heart to make it known that you will stand with us!
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