Actually, "the band" is only me, composing and recording songs with the assistance of digital music creation software.
Again, I am not a member, or a leader, of a band. However, I have been writing songs since about 1995, or 1996, I would guess.
No, I am not a performer. As indicated above, I use computers and software to create music.
Everything I've ever listened to has exerted an influence on me. I did grow up in a household that contained a great quantity and variety of music on vinyl records. Both my father and my mother were determined to expose their children to as much "artistic" stimulus as they could bring into our home.
To make music, I use PG Music's "Band-in-a-Box" software to compose songs. To sequence MIDI and audio I use Cakewalk Music Creator Pro 24. The instrument sounds come from virtual instrument software such as Garritan Jazz & Big Band, V.I. One from Vir2 Instruments, First Call Horns from Big Fish Audio, Miroslav Philharmonik and SampleTank from IK Multimedia, and a variety of other MIDI and audio-related software products.
I remember a time when I heard people whistling, humming, or singing tunes they'd heard on the radio, or on a phonograph record, as they walked down the street, or went about their work. I don't see that kind of thing anymore. Personally, I'd like to hear more melody in music.