I own several musical instruments and can play at least a song on each. I had a gig as a music teacher for a preschool for a few years, which lead me to acquiring many instruments to show them and let listen to, this also simplified music much more for me, most often basic progressions usually in the key of C which could be played again on any instrument. Ultimately, I've come to the conclusion that because music consists of precisely rhythm & melody... rhythm must be established before a melody can be produced... so all instruments are percussion first - its not too difficult to create song with any instrument with this perspective. Anyways, this page is about the instruments I've collected and perhaps the story about how I obtained it.

1. Alvarez Acoustic Guitar with cutaway & pickup
2. LP Bongos
3. Remo Klong Yaw
4. Steel Drum
5. Ceramic Doumbek (by Full Circle Drums)
6. McNally Strumstick
7. Alto Saxophone (2002)
8. Electric Guitar (Fender Stratocaster) (2002)
9. Bass Guitar (2003)
10. Dulcimer (2003)
11. Thumb Piano (2003)
12. Recorder Flute Collection (2003)
13. Glockenspiel (xylophone) (2004)
14. The Loop Pedal (2004)
15. The Accordion (2005)
16. Djembe w/ stand (2006)
17. Cello (2007)
18. Fretless Electric Bass (2007)
19. Violin (2007)
20. Casio Keyboard (2007)
21. Roland Electronic Handsonic (2008)
22. The Hammered Dulcimer (2008)
23. The Piano Horn (2008)
24. Harp (2009)
25. Clarinet (2009)
26. The Xaphoon (2009)
27. Flute (2009)
28. The Beamz (2009)

I spent my evenings during the summer of 1995 working in the back of a restaurant. Apparently their accounting software wasn't too sophisticated, because it allowed the data entry person to input 40 hours (as opposed to 4.0 hours) on one of my days. I stopped by to get my paycheck early in the afternoon and left immediately, it wasn't until I was on my way to the bank when I realized my check was absurdly more than usual. So I went straight from the bank to the local music shop and purchased an Alvarez acoustic / electric guitar that I still play today. When my boss realized the error, she came and informed me that I would need to work off the balance. I washed dishes in the back of that restaurant while receiving zero dollar paychecks for almost two months weeks until I decided to leave.

During the winter of 1997 my brother, Ryan, was a music major at Indiana University focused in percussion. My wish that Christmas was to find a hand drum of some kind under the tree. I wanted something affordable, and most importantly portable. Santa brought me a pair of bongos made by LP. Bongos are quite small in comparison to other drums, so they lack a lot of bass tone and its mostly your finger tips that do the work. I feel that beginning hand drumming with bongos made me a better player, because I learned first how to play light and fast.

Several years later my bongos were becoming a primary instrument to me. I was regularly gigging at church, and with some friends I graduated school with. I felt the need for a bigger better drum, visited the local music superstore and eyed this beautiful drum with great tone. The Klong Yaw, made by Remo, is a fiberglass body with a synthetic but authentic looking head.

One day in spring of 2002, I spent the day with my girlfriend Aimee and the two of us visited a Guitar Center music store in Indianapolis. This place had a great drum room for being a place best known for guitars. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw on the counter-top a small steel drum in PVC pipe framing. When I was about 15, I imagined having a band with way more than the typical number of instruments involved. I'm not sure why, but this band I imagined usually had some steel drum parts. The steel drum now in front of me was labeled with the proper note on each bevel telling me this instrument was forced to the tuning of pentatonic major G, one of my most commonly played keys on guitar. The steel drum was marked down from $150 to $100, Aimee thought this was way too much to spend for such a novelty instrument... but I'd wanted one for far too long and I had the change to spare. The staff at Guitar Center gladly thanked me for taking that instrument home, and my roommates and I immediately started utilizing it whenever noticed that we were in G, as well as playing Jane Says by Jane's Addiction more often.

I had a gig at an Irish pub in Castleton one Saturday and needed to meet the sound guy that afternoon before the show. I decided to visit Guitar Center's drum shop not really anticipating purchasing a drum, but I spotted this beautiful piece of pottery with a rawhide drum head. It stands only about 12 or 14 inches tall, and sounded incredible. Sticker priced at $99, I felt it should come home with me. Then I traveled over to Sam Ash music store to look around...

I wandered through the different sections of Sam Ash, music superstore not seeing anything too interesting. I was growing bored but decided I'd visit the acoustic guitar room quickly and look at each instrument, play a couple. On my way out of the acoustic room I noticed a cardbox box holding 3 baton like wooden sticks, each having a very light string attached. At first I thought it was something 'employee only' and I shouldn't even touch, but then I realized they were instruments. Very lightweight, wood, three banjo strings, different sized frets keeps this instrument tuned to key of G major, the soundhole is about the size of a nickel, has a very loud & bright sound.

I had played the alto saxophone for two years when I was in 4th and 5th grade, but didn't own the instrument. Not long ago in 2002 a web associate asked me if I was interested in a couple instruments he was tired of having. I drove up to see him and for less than a hundred bucks I had a playable saxophone again. I came back a few weeks later for the rest of his music equipment: an electric guitar with amplifier & guitar stand.

more instruments to come...
• Bass Guitar (2003)
• Dulcimer (2003)
• Thumb Piano
• Recorder Flute Collection (2003)
• Glockenspiel (xylophone) (2004)
• The Loop Pedal (2004)
• The Accordion (2005)
• Djembe w/ stand (2006)
• Cello (2007)
• Fretless Electric Bass (2007)
• Violin (2007)
• Casio Keyboard (2007)
• Roland Electronic Handsonic (2008)
• The Hammered Dulcimer (2008)
• The Piano Horn (2008)
• Harp (2009)
• Clarinet (2009)
• The Xaphoon (2009)
• Flute (2009)
• The Beamz (2009)