I'm Jordan, I'm 19 years old, and I've been teaching myself to play bass since October of 1999. I haven't been playing that long, but I used to play keyboards, so that helps quite a bit. I started playing bass because I wanted to get back into music, and personally, I find bass to be much more interesting than guitar. I mean, really, how much more can be done with a guitar? Bass hasn't really been explored that much in comparison. I know you probably have a great idea for a new use for a guitar, but between Jimi, Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Carlos Santana, and the millions of others I'm leaving out, somebody thought of it. On bass, you can still innovate on SOMETHING... even if it's just loosening your strap to the point where your bass is slung around your knees and you have to pluck it by stabbing at it with a meterstick.

In the short time I've been a member here, ActiveBass.com has changed just about everything about the way I play now. It's been great having this site to use as a reference. Here's hoping I'll have be able to get even more help from here in the future!

Let's see, my turn-ons are long walks on the beach, things that are soft and... lacey (BUT NOT LACE!), and candy. My turn-offs are rude people and... Oh, wait, wrong profile.

I like people who are open to new things. I think nearly every really bad thing that has happened in this world could have been avoided if people had just learned to accept instead of judge and oppress. I don't believe in judging people for being different or making different choices in life... provided those choices don't harm others, in which case the aggressor needs to be set straight.

As for political views, I'm pretty much non-partisan. I believe that government shouldn't be about picking sides and stepping on someone else's back to get higher up. Besides, I'm too fickle to have a set opinion.

What bothers me most is people who start trouble where they could just as easily have avoided it all. I won't rant here, though. That'll wait until you actually try TALKING to me. Mwa ha ha!

Now as for bass related stuff, most of my bass playing doesn't really have musical results, but I do try, and I think that's what's important. I have a knowledge of the basics of theory, but unfortunately I'm no scholar. I don't have any set goal, as I've already pretty much done the thing I most wanted to do as a bassist, which is play all my favorite songs. Now I'm just discovering as I go, and I'm perfectly happy with that.

As a member here I see myself as one of the quiet ones. I generally try to be personable, concise, and pacifistic... then I think about how angry something makes me and I just give up.

So that's pretty much me in a nutshell. Now I have to find something else to do to make the boredom go away...

Musical Influences

• Paul McCartney, Mike Dirnt, Garry Tallent, Paul Simonon, Donald Duck Dunn, Sting, Bakithi Khumalo, Sara Lee, Bootsy, Mark King
• The Clash, The Boss, The Doors, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Dave Matthews Band, The Paul Simon, The Lucinda Williams
• Classic rock. Lots and lots and lots AND LOTS of classic rock.

Favorite Recordings

• "Born in the USA," by Springsteen
• "Play," by Moby
• Anything that serves well to blackmail an elected public official.

Favorite Lessons

• I Want Your Boyfriend (#313)
  by Tom Quentin (39)