music has probably been the largest influence throughout my whole life. everyone has memories that songs evoke instantaneously after even the greatest lengths. i mostly remember various points in my life as different circumstances for listing to music. where it was heard. where it was played. so many different places, iterations, and dynamics. i remember the smell of different cds and what tapes sound like against icy windshields. the first time i bought a stereo and didn’t know how to connect the speakers. when we finally got a van that ran on the same five nineties albums for hours and days and years. i remember the turquoise glow of the amp in my father’s basement, the tuner that would tick up half a tenth MHz to .90, then down to .85, endlessly. i remember sleeping with headphones on, and waking up sometimes in tears.

i remember the first time i got to touch an electric guitar. for many years i had no idea how to make any of them sound even the least bit good. sometimes i still spend a great amount of energy avoiding them.

once friends and i got to stay up all night with a baby grand and a real singing Hammond B-3. we did this more than once, actually.

sometimes i like to pretend i am actually a Really Good jazz drummer.

sometimes i keep a good tune with me when i walk around the town.