Eighth grade was confusing; your body and mind are changing, and most importantly you start to discover your own music interests other than your parents influence. This was when I started listening to bands like Green Day and Blink-182, and that was the kind of music I wanted to make.

A bunch of my friends played guitar, and one of the played drums, but they had no bass player. I convinced myself that I should be a bass player and start a band with my friends. I got my first bass for Christmas in eighth grade. It was an Ibanez started kit bass and it came with an amp. The band with my friends never happened, but the thought of it was probably the best thing to ever happen to me.

After proving my dedication to the bass to my parents, they bought me a new bass for my 16th birthday, which I still play to this day, the Ibanez SRX500.