I play piano/keyboard. I started taking lessons when I was 10 (not by choice). By 12 I was playing by ear alot. In high school, I picked up a book on chord theory in the library. It greatly enhanced my ability to play by ear and I've been doing it ever since - playing for churches, youth bands, prison ministries, and charity events.
The real kicker for me was when I started going to my current church about 8 years ago. They have alot of jazz and blues influence. Thats where my personal music took a turn. So now I feel like I incorporate alot more variety into the music I compose.
I'm not much of a lyricist like my brother, but I can spit out the music behind them. I have written a few songs, but few and far between. My brother is looking at becoming a Christian band with a secular label full time. I hope it works out cause I'm his right hand man. He plays guitar and drums. I've only dabbled. However, I do record on my computer fairly well.
I am sporting Cakewalk Sonar with a ton of plugins. My gear: M-Audio Fast Track Pro, M-Audio USB Keyboard, Audio Technica Studio mics with shock mounts and pop-filters. I have alot of fun with it. I'm looking at getting a decent guitar so I can get better at it. I'd love to do some lead, though I know I could nail backup (strum, power chords, etc.).
Anyway, thats the scoop on me.