I was born in Decorah, Iowa, on August 4, 1972. I grew up around electric guitars as long as I can remember. I got my first guitar at age 10, I could not put it down and learned everything I heard from the top 40 radio stations that I could pick up from my stereo. 

My first gig playing guitar was in 8 th grade. I played guitar during our 8th-grade choir's performance of "At the Hop." I played a guitar solo in the song and received a huge ovation from the crowd. After that, I was hooked on performing live. 

Throughout high school, I played with a couple of buddies in local bands off and on. I was also involved with the high school concert/marching band, choir, and theatre. I also did two summer tours with a live jazz band and a show choir between my junior and senior years, and taught guitar at the local music store. 

In my senior year, I was selected for All-State Jazz, which was a huge honor. By this time, I was pretty much self-taught, except for a couple of music lessons in music theory and jazz chords. Those lessons really helped me to fully understand music theory and chord structure. From there, I learned everything on my own. 

After high school, I stuck around Decorah for a year playing with my high school band and filling in for other bands in the area when they needed a lead player. At age 18, I decided to mo pursue music and possibly get into a tech school. 

While living in Phoenix, AZ, I resumed teaching guitar for a few years while working jobs in construction and manufacturing. I was still able to continue playing in many different bands, and I was exposed to other styles of music such as modern country, R&B, Ska, hard-core metal, classic rock, and older blues. It was during this time that I started my career in telecommunications as a copper cable splicer for the phone company, then known as US West, and I would be there for the next 23 years. 

I was fortunate to have met some great musicians in the late 90’s to early 2000s, where I played all original music. I was able to write, collaborate, and arrange music with other musicians. This gave me the opportunity to gain recording experience in a couple of high-end professional recording studios, as well as play the local rock clubs in the Phoenix music scene. 

In 2010, my wife, Janice, and I moved to Duluth, MN, to get closer to home. I took a job transfer within my company and continued to play in bands and at church. I also started working with my old singer from my high school band, Kyle Elsbernd. We recorded some Norwegian folk music at our house, and that is when we formed our Norwegian Bachelor Farmer acoustic duo, which we still perform today. 

In 2013, we moved to our current location in Marion, IA. Again, this was another job transfer to get out of the cold of northern Minnesota. Since then, I have played in several bands locally. I have also filled in for various other bands, acoustic duos, and performers on single shows, off and on as needed. 

In 2021, I was approached by Tiffany Malanaphy to join Bad Dog 2020, and I have played with that band ever since. Most of the shows are all in Northeast Iowa, so I do a fair amount of traveling during the gig season. I also left my company that same year after 23 years of service to join another telecommunications company, where I currently work. 

Recently, I have continued doing other side projects, including backing up Braelyn McCarville out of Cresco, IA, where I solely back her up on guitar and cajon. I play a lot of female country with Braelyn, and that keeps my musical chops up and introduces me to new music and styles. 

I have acquired a huge collection of guitars, amps, and effects pedals over the years, and I still geek out over everything electric-guitar-related. I love checking out other players’ rigs and giving advice on gear and such. It is something I have always been deeply passionate about and will keep doing until I can't do it any longer.