the local YMCA building in Roodhouse.

Continued playing acoustic sets at Due Gattis Coffee Shop in Jacksonville

I remember my first show I played solo acoustic is was in Quincy IL

at Mugshots Coffee Shop, it was a blast.

I continued on with my acoustic shows since I didn't have a band

I would book other local acts at the YMCA in Roodhouse as I connected

with them over MYSPACE. Once I recorded my first actual acoustic album

Had the silliest name ever "Playing with Monkeys" I guess I thought

I was funny or something. From that initial album which was a home studio

recording in my grandparents spare bedroom I got my first taste of the

business of the music business. With the traction the songs I had up on myspace

began to grow to about 50-100 plays per day I was offered a clothing sponsorship

which I agreed to with Steez Clothing which is still around today.

It lasted a year but the clothes were sweet as well as the promotion.

I had a very special friend in Shannon Steele at the time that was super supportive

of all things I was in musically from The Big City to Midwest Avenue

She was a huge part to what would come. She had a video camera and she put on

a secret show at her house with all people from our hometown area that came out to

the local shows and I played an acoustic set in her living room. It was a complete

blast. It was around that time I really felt like I had something to offer musically

And could make a career out of this for the long term, because thats all i've really

ever wanted to do. Along with putting on shows at the local YMCA, playing some local shows

in Jacksonville, IL and Springfield, IL- I also put on shows in White Hall which was 3 miles from

Roodhouse at the Seton Hall. which was owned by a church in my hometown. It was at that

point I decided that I was going to go all in on Myspace which was starting to gain some

major popularity. I would go on to record a few more albums in my grandparents spare bedroom

which I will be talking about on the next episode.