I was born 11:48 a.m. Monday, March 30th, 1981 at Marietta Memorial Hospital. I was born on the same date as my aunt Esther and the day that president Reagan was shot. My interest in art and music started early. By the end of grade school I was taking “Talented And Gifted” classes in the visual arts, participating in the school choir, learning how to play clarinet, and learning how to play drums with private lessons from Dave Turner (of Catch 22).

When I was a freshman in high school I was forced to serve a one year term in the school band, playing the big bass drum. During that time I had been introduced to two new friends and started my own band. Brian Palmer, my friend since the 1st grade played drums, I played guitar, Ben Stone sang, and Jeremy Lewis played bass. We named the band Pusher and I forced them to stick to a (then) brutal practice schedule. I took a year of guitar lessons from Chris Craig (of the defunct jazz-rock band Skillet). For my 15th birthday my parents surprised me with a Fender JagStang (which is still my favorite guitar).

After three years Pusher had written over a hundred songs and switched bassists three times. Gigs were also starting to pick up and a small but loyal fan base was in its infancy. Right around that time we were put on the bill at the Annex (a local band showcase). We had played there a few times, opening for bands like Disturbing Livestock. For the last show we decided to take it to the next level, we obtained costumes and reworked our set list, determined to make it a memorable performance. When we got there we were informed that we would go on 2nd (a spot usually reserved for new or awful bands). We were angry and our playing reflected it. It only took a few songs before our show disintegrated into frustrated mistakes and then Brian threw up his sticks and walked off the stage. Brian quit the band that night, and James (our bassist at the time) followed.

Even though we had been the main creative force behind the band, Ben and I decided not to find new players, but to concentrate on our side project E.M. (Eronimous Mastima). I bought a Yamaha cassette 4-track recording machine with $500 that I had earned doing landscaping for Brian’s mother the summer before. Ben and I quickly banged out a 120 minute cassette tape titled Soothing. You can still get a cassette copy (some day I’ll feed the tape into the computer and put the album on cd) at the Ugly Boy Productions website.

The summer before my senior year, I began hanging out with the guys in a band called Joe Bakes Nine that had played a gig with Pusher once. I worked with Kenny Vigneron at C and C Dodge Toyota as a janitor/detail boy from July to December 1998. In December 1998 I bought a Yamaha MD8 for $1200. When Joe Bakes Nine broke up, I talked to Kenny and Jason Waggoner about starting a new band. The band was called Bound and featured a much heavier style than Pusher (more of a punk/ska mix). The band never found a permanent drummer, and fizzled out when the most prominent drummer joined the navy and I left to attend Ohio State. I also finished up a “solo” album the night before moving into my dorm room that I had begun after buying the MD8 the Christmas before. This album can also be purchased at the Ugly Boy Productions site.

During high school I worked hard at cultivating my visual artistic talents, testing into the advanced studio class every year. I also began my hobby of concert going. Before going to college I had already seen many concerts and even attended Woodstock 99. Once in college I went through many musicians and many majors. After being denied admission to the product design department two years in a row, I applied for painting and drawing. I graduated from Ohio State in March of 2004 with a Bachelors of the Fine Arts (Cum Laude and With Distinction) and a minor in business.

In September 2002 I began working at the Book Depository. My hard work there lead to my current job in June 2003, doing photoshop (and some website work) for the internet's largest greeting card company. I am still trying to make music, occasionally recording acoustic demos. I am moving to Los Angeles in August to hopefully find a good job, a good band, and a good life. --update-- I have been living and working in North Hollywood California since August 2004. I'm starting to play music again, and will hopefully start painting again. I spend a lot of time with my girl Amy doing various interesting things like going to San Francisco or the beach. I don't believe I could have had the same life in Ohio, and the fun is just getting started...