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This is all probably overkill, but:

For as long as I can remember I've been wanting to play guitar. I took my first guitar lessons at Peeler Music in Toledo, OH at the age of 5 on a JCPenney guitar my parents got me for Christmas - FINALLY after asking for one for the past couple of years and getting an electronic toy one instead. Unfortunately I wasn't yet willing to put the work in to become very skilled at that age - and it didn't help that the action on that JCPenney acoustic really hurt my fingers. I remember one day getting the opportunity to test out a small kid's Fender Squire at Peeler - and messing with the guitars there wasn't something I was able to do often as a small rambunctious kid. THAT one was a lot more exciting, but definitely not one I was going to get.

a young Lee playing a JCPenney acoustic guitar in the backyard
5-6 year old me playing the JCPenney acoustic guitar in the backyard

I stopped taking lessons and quit playing altogether for several years, until junior high started and my interest started to peak again. My dad had still been messing around with the guitar during the years I had stopped, so when I was getting back into it I had his black Squire and Epiphone acoustic at my disposal. I started taking lessons at Peeler again when I was around 14 and that's when I started getting really serious about building my skills and putting time in practicing. There's nothing like just sitting there and watching someone who has mastered the guitar go nuts. I always really looked forward to interacting with the teachers there who were driven purely by their passion for guitar - and it always felt amazing to get their positive feedback and encouragement. This is the same year I got my blue agave Fender Standard Strat HSS for Christmas and I was beyond stoked. It's still the one I play today, although it could admittedly use some work.


me holding a blue electric guitar and writing down guitar tabs
18 year old me writing music with the blue Fender

There's something special to me about playing an instrument that I have developed my skills on and created music with for the majority of my life. I don't really spend much on equipment (both since I'm cheapskate and find all of the options overwhelming) and my most recent purchase is a used Behringer U-Phoria UM2 which suits me well for now. Other than the occasional phone recording of an idea, I didn't record anything prior to getting the Behringer about a year ago, and it's been a lot of fun finally being able to record - and REMEMBER - my ideas. My goal is to keep playing and hopefully share stuff and collaborate with other people down the road.