Tim Zylka

Online Dating I started playing bass because I have been a life long music lover and felt that I wanted to be more than a casual observer. I grew up listening to bands like King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull. But I’ve always had a taste for things a little out of the ordinary. An example would be the electronic music pioneer Isao Tomita. Isao Tomita had a flair for recreating classical pieces like The Planets by Gustav Holst or The Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky on a roomful of synthesizers. This was decades before laptop computers and digital recording. In the 80’s I got caught up in the New Age music scene, through a radio program called Musical Starstreams with it’s host Frank Forrest. Frank highlighted the best in New Age performers like Andreas Vollenweider, Chris Spheeris, Patrick O’Hearn, Ray Lynch, Tingstad and Rumbel and Tangerine Dream. To this day I’m a fan of jazz, ambient and classical music as well as music with a sharper edge like Nine Inch Nails or Tool. But whenever I thought about seriously learning to play an instrument I thought I was too old to start or that I wouldn’t have the patience and disipline it would take. I was wrong. I was fortunate enough to hook up with two very talented musicians in Milwaukee (Kirk Tatnall and John Price) who showed me the BASSics! I really enjoy the excitement I feel when I learn a new song or I nail a difficult bassline. It’s very rewarding and playing live is a thrill! I’ve been playing bass for 3 years now. I am also thrilled to have recorded a cover of Stray Cat Strut with my mentor and teacher, Kirk Tatnall. My main bass is a 4 string fretless Warwick Corvett Standard strung with D’Addario regular light gauge (.045 -.100) round wound ProSteels. I also play an Ibanez SR 400 Soundgear strung with D’Addario light gauge (.045-.100) round wound strings. I use my fingers and not a pick because I like that full, fat sound you can only get when skin meets string. For tone sculpting I use the Line 6 Bass Pod XT Live and I push all of it through a Carvin Pro Bass 200 1X15 combo amp. For availability, please drop me a line.