Glad you’ve found me… I swear I’m not AI-generated.
In fact, I’m actually really into the whole human experience thing… which is why a major focus in my life is performing live music. (But hey, I like a good “Cat Saves Baby from Crocodile” video as much as the next guy…)
My musical journey has been a complete labor of love and I am thrilled where it has taken me. Here is my story along with a few other tidbits about me:
Musician
“Classic Lemonade” was my first ever recorded work. I was ten at the time.
I was convinced a catchy tune would bring in those customers… (I didn’t have the convenience of my looper pedal back then, so I had to keep rewinding the tape manually).
As I grew as a musician into my teen years, I discovered Gershwin, Ragtime, Oingo Boingo, Flea, and Primus.
In about that order and all contribute to my playing today.
I love and listen mostly to New Wave 80s music. Doug the Slug of KROQ was my favorite DJ since ’82, and these days he’s on SiriusXM First Wave Ch. 33 @SluggoDoug…
Some of my favorite artists are Elvis Costello, Squeeze, They Might Be Giants, Violent Femmes, and The Cure.
I studied Jazz at the University of Utah under a Grammy nominated professor — who was brilliant, but what I remember most was his cringed-up expressions. But his love for music was evident. I worked my way to becoming an in-demand freelance bass player as well as fronting bands as a singer.
After college, I started doing more with the acoustic guitar and realized I could play it like a bass. All the slapping and rhythm techniques I learned from Flea and Les Claypool carried over in a unique way.
Today I have dived into the world of folk music but maintain my modern influences. Like, the really old stuff from the Netherlands, Gaelic, Welsh music… just a lost art form and I scour through old hymn books.
In fact, blues/soul/jazz had its roots from both the Spirituals and Gaelic music, and I love exploring the ol’ timey genre (The O’ Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack is a huge influence). So I switched to playing solely in “Open D-tuning” because most of the O’ Brother tracks were done in that tuning and it plays well with my bass background.
I love reworking the old hymns, most of them were based on old folk traditionals, and the African American Spirituals are some of the most hauntingly beautiful music ever created…
I find most choir and heavy organ/piano arrangements of folk music-based hymns to have absolutely zero feel for how they were originally intended. In my opinion, most music sung in churches today has gotten very stale — especially rhythmically (and in all denominations, including K-Love). Just sayin’.
So yes, I do resonate with musical snobs found in failing record shops, but I do try to be kind and monitor my cringed-up expressions.
But I could talk music all day…
Athlete
Water Polo was my life as a teenager. Even wrote a book about my experience.
I also was a starter on the high school basketball team for four years, a high school/collegiate swimmer, and a feared little league baseball pitcher.
But playing Water Polo was my passion and I had the most talent for it. I placed priority and time spent even before music because I realized my playing days were numbered. My high school career ended with me earning All-American honors along with setting several new CIF (state) records.
Senior Year of High School
I was recruited by UC Irvine directly out of High School, but went to my local Jr. College in Huntington Beach who is an absolute monster of a water polo school. The Golden West Rustlers.
We won the state championship two years in a row and I was named State MVP my sophomore year. Glory days.
This got me a lot of offers from the big boys including UCLA as my biggest recruiter. I made the decision to serve a full-time LDS mission for two years and left that offer on the table.
On my return, UCLA was all filled up with goalies, so they encouraged me to join an extremely talented UC Irvine team who was in desperate need for a starting goalie. I almost did it… but I met a girl in Utah.
Jenny became the center of my song and we are celebrating thirty years of marriage this year (2025). When asked why I didn’t finish playing, I quip: “I got married and joined a band instead”.
But I love the memories and miss playing. Today I swim a mile a day, surf when I can, and lift weights pretty regularly. My body loves a good workout after enduring such a demanding sport.
Digital Marketer
I have been buying online media ads, studying SEO to improve search rankings for websites, and selling products (predominantly health/wellness) online since 2001. I remember our major obstacle back then was helping prospects feel comfortable making online purchases — it was new to everyone.
Yes, this was the time of the Dot-Com failures. (Google that young ones.) Brick and mortar companies had a lot to lose with consumers turning to making online purchases. Many chided me for embracing e-commerce, claiming the internet was just a fad. But they were grasping at straws; clamoring to hold onto their interests before the inevitable weeding out process took. (Think Blockbuster and every other company back then).
From retail, to travel, finance, etc., everybody endured a reshuffling of the deck. But no one industry was turned completely on its head like the music industry. Album sales of buying $18 CD’s in the mall came to an abrupt end. And it would soon get ugly with music copyright lawyers turning ambulance chaser.
I can remember almost the exact moment I went from aspiring musician, to making the decision to pivot and seek employment within digital marketing. Ouch. But the rules had been redefined and the middle-class musician, one I always sought to be, had taken the biggest hit.
It is even worse today, complete feast or famine… you are either a Tay Tay or a Nay Nay.
However, there is hope! I mean, I love it when an artist I like gets on their phone with just the guitar and voice. Sure, the sound could be better… but it’s that live interaction I love as a fan. And I believe independent artists are just tapping the surface on how digital media can bring their music into the households of new listeners.
Also, live music from concerts are setting records (even with the absurd ticket prices). This will continue to be a focus for me moving forward. Being a one-man-band does take some trial and error, but it has it’s advantages and my background in digital marketing does help.
So that’s me in a nutshell. I love music, sports, selling health stuff online, and singing Jesus songs.
I genuinely love meeting new people… so please if you have any questions, comments, or inquiries don’t hesitate to hit me up!
All love,
– Brandon
