I wanted to be a synthesizer player. Not a piano player, not an organ player, not a hurdy-gurdy player, a synthesizer player. I liked the idea of making sounds realistic and not, and I liked the idea of sequencing. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford a good synth, forget about a sequencer for an analogue synth, and I eventually got a piano teacher, but I never did much because I wanted to perform not practice scales.
I was in college round then, and none of the bands wanted some Black guy playing synthesizer and organ. They were all about the guitar, bass and drums, and because I deejayed dances, I think the perception was that I wasn't about rock music which wasn't true.
At the same time, I had a little multi-track recorder that I would compose songs on with my synth and drum machine, and I had been spending so much time trying to get a bass sound I was losing the flavor of the composition. It was just easier to borrow a bass guitar and play what needed to be played.
Eventually, my friend Eugene and I decided we would try to do an electronic music project together with him playing guitar, and me doing everything else which turned into more or less a straight forward, traditional guitar, bass and drums Punk rock band. We couldn't find any bass player who would play with us, so I borrowed another bass and had to learn how to play it. We used to rehearse almost everyday.
Eventually, I bought my first bass (The Steinberger copy that I play now) a year later.
