Cast of Characters - Tim

Cast of Characters:

If my life was a story, the person below would have a starring role. I want you all to know more about them, so over the following weeks, I’ll be including various interviews that I’ve recently conducted with the most important people in my life.

My Husband, Tim.

He makes me laugh every day, and inspires me to be a better version of myself. Most of my readers know him as my more rational side, and I try to give him credit for that. He’s been my greatest educator in life, music, business and everything else I missed out on during the military. He is the most important person in my life and the best part about being alive is that I get to wander through this world with him. Here is the interview:

Erin: Where are you from and why did you leave?

Tim: I'm from Oklahoma City. I grew up in a 3 story house and never moved once until I left for college. I was the youngest of 6 kids in my family. By the time I came along, my Dad had created a solid business that afforded him what I always thought of as his dream house. My parents are devout Catholics and they sent me to parochial schools for elementary and high school.

I did well in high school and always intended on going to college. I always thought big about which college I’d attend. When I was young I entertained ideas of Notre Dame or Oxford. My grades didn't turn out to be quite that good and though I received an application, I never applied to Notre Dame. I was looking for a school that offered Music Business or Commercial Music as a degree. At the time I was hoping to be involved in music recording and production.

My parents, while open to my attending school out of state, limited my choices to locations that Southwest Airlines flew to. It soon became clear that the logical choices were Chicago, New Orleans and Denver. I considered Loyola Chicago and Loyola New Orleans, but was quite sure about Denver University when I visited. I convinced my best friend Jeff to apply as well and we ended up rooming together.

I changed my degree from Commercial Music to Digital Media Studies at the end of my freshman year. Studying music at that level had proved exhausting. I was far behind my peers and all the work wasn’t pointing me toward the things I wanted. My later collegiate studies revealed a knack for coding and other geeky stuff. By the time school ended I already had a great internship with a successful Denver company, Digital Metropolis, and a girlfriend (not Erin, we hadn’t met yet!) so I didn't see any reason to head back to OKC. My career started at Digital Metropolis and the rest is history.

Erin: I know that you are a talented musician, what inspired you to take up guitar?

Tim: Around the time I was probably 14, my Dad started showing me chords on his guitar. It was an old beat up 1940 Martin 00 (which means small). My Dad bought it cheap, as he tends to do, and restored it with the help of a friend who knew instrument repair. The first couple songs I remember learning were; “Chim-Chiminy” and “Puff the Magic Dragon.” My musical influences at the time were largely based on whatever my sisters shared with me. I got my first guitar for my 15th birthday. It’s was a red Yamaha Pacifica 517 and I still have it.

I immediately went to work practicing guitar for 5-7 hours a day. I quickly started stringing together every stereo in the house, with a tangled array of wires and adapters, attempting to 'multi-track' record. I must have been 16 or so when I got my first 4-track recorder. Feeling quite professional, I went to work writing and recording songs on my Tascam Porto-07. My junior year of high school I created an album and made 25 copies that I sold at school. That recording helped me earn a scholarship at Denver University

Erin: What is your favorite music to play?

Tim: As I mentioned a lot of my early music influences came from my sisters. I remember being in the 7th grade and realizing that all the music I liked the most seemed to be coming from the UK or Australia. U2 and Pink Floyd were my favorite bands. I haven't changed much.

I'd add bands like Radiohead, Keane and Coldplay as well as lot of classic rock. In short, I guess if I'm playing, then I'm likely singing too and honestly the singing is the fun part. Singing is the most athletic thing about music and one of the more energetic things I do in my life. I like singing the songs that are hard to sing. I'm sure I sound horrible, but the most fun I can have with music is getting red in the face try to keep up with the likes of Thom Yorke and Bono on their best days.

Erin: What is the best thing about being a web developer and working from home?

The best thing about being web developer is experiencing those “Eureka!” moments. I enjoy muddling though a nasty problem and emerging with something that functions.

The best thing about working from home is the autonomy of reaping such a greater share of the reward for my labor. Most importantly, it allows me to master my own career. The simple goal is to be able to create better and better pieces and avoid compromising my standards for quality. Then, of course, there is fortune and world domination. ;)

Erin: Describe for us a moment where you felt exhilaration and a sense of accomplishment?

Tim: My proudest moments so far: Becoming student council president in the 8th grade, receiving my SAT scores, being accepted to college, graduating college, getting my first salary at Digital Metropolis, and suckering Erin into marrying me.

Erin: You are a great writer, why don't you have a blog?

Tim: I'm shy. :)