I entered the global work force at age 6 in 1994 as an alter boy, getting paid 2 Deutsche Marks per mass at THE catholic church in Schönwald, Germany. Within months, a promotion came up that could not be turned down..funeral services. My sister and i quickly became business partners and raked in 6 DM watching grey heads wiping tears from their stone cold gazes in front of wooden caskets. They tipped us, unaware of our salary. My mother advised us to open bank accounts at the local Sparkasse whose logo reminded me of Super Mario blocks, just in red instead of yellow. We picked up side gigs playing christmas songs and entertaining tipsy church goers during matinees at our parents restaurant. All the money we made over the next few years was withdrawn and used to help our family move to the United States where all 5 of us started working at a sausage factory. Geiers Sausage Kitchen in Sarasota FL. I was employed as a stock boy, 11 or 12 years old. My father quit after a few months and bought an electrician for dummies book..and became one, an electrician. My mother quit a few weeks later to work at a bank where she still struggles with an accent but has reached the glass ceiling..i was withdrawn from the sausage business by proxy. During my stay in florida i held a job at panera bread where they taught me how to decorate iced coffee and mop a floor properly...i quit after a year or so to become an artist, a sandwich artist. Summer breaks were spent between landscaping in Bird Key, including Brian Johnsons (ACDC fame) pink house on the bay and working on construction sites with my father which never paid but he'd hand me a $100 on some fridays to go to the movies. At 18 i worked at the UCF arena in orlando ripping tickets for crowds that were flocking to see Hoobastank after tailgating in the parking lot since 11am. By 19 i was teaching guitar to 5-63 year olds...unwillingly becoming a counselor to middle/high schoolers. I got a degree in sociology thinking that counseling may be my path, so i moved to chicago and got a job at Geoff Benges Guitar Shop sorting receipts and sweeping floors. Geoff took my damaged sad soul under his wing and trained me to become a luthier. Around this time i started picking up guitar session work and an addiction or two. Someone once called me an overachiever. Through touring i met a witch and found myself living in los angeles as an artist assistant, dj assistant, wedding mc, installed floors in a chili peppers house and cashed a ticket at the santa anita horsetrack for 3 grand that wasnt mine.
Here i am, forever for hire.