Derek Howell

Derek Howell grew up surrounded by music. His first encounters with music at close range were personified by the purchase of his first record player. A seemingly new world opened up as he was introduced to single after single of popular classics by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and The Who. Little time passed before cassette tapes, and eventually CD's boasting the sounds of Pink Floyd and Def Leppard filled his cluttered room. His mother, a Country Western singer, greatly encouraged his musical and vocal abilities at every turn, eventually resulting in the desire to create music of his own. This desire was realized when his father purchased what would become Derek's first musical instrument. The guitar consumed Derek's life for the better part of four