I grew up in Sigourney, Iowa. There was a park outside the town called Yenrougis. We may have been hard pressed for cultural luminaries to name parks after. But it was still a cool place- hay rack rides went there every fall. It was a small town, like 2,500, and not every kid wanted to be involved in music. So there wasn’t a lot of choice in instrumentation. I knew I was a saxophone player, that’s what I hoped and prayed my fourth grade assigned instrument would be. Instead the powers that be and my orthodontia decided I would play valve trombone- our district couldn’t afford a proper euphonium.

After moving to Ottumwa, a town ten times the size of Sigourney, I switched to tuba- and became fully immersed in the world of band geeks. It was so great. Before school, marching band. During school, concert band. After school, spirited but poorly executed pick-up basketball with all the friends who spent most of their time in the band room. I started playing bass when I was sixteen. I got a starter kit complete with a kinda purple bass and the tinniest practice amp you’ve ever heard and immediately started playing super awesome bad versions of Green Day songs with my before and during and after school friends.

Things have come a long way since then- the bass isn’t nearly so purple, the amp isn’t nearly so tinny and the music I get to be a part of now is just awesome. I love being a part of Cloud Cult- and the opportunity to share this music when we travel and when we come home remains one of the biggest and most gratifying thrills I’ve experienced.