 |
 |
 |
           |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
Interview With An Up And Coming Musician From Toronto
Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is delighted to have as our guest, Dan Goldman, Guitarist, Song Writer, Poet, Arranger and a musician of many other talents. Dan is here to discuss his world of music and travels. Norm: When did your passion for music begin? What keeps you going? Dan: I can't quite remember when my passion began. It seems to have been an inborn appreciation. My earliest memories are of listening to old records and 8-track recordings that my parents had kicking around the house - anything from Kenny Rogers to Neil Diamond sparked my interest at the time. My father played piano, and I always loved listening to his romantic, albeit, slightly schmaltzy touch. I'd press my ear against the soundboard to get the most out of the vibrations. Norm: Who were the musicians that influenced you? Dan: There are too many to mention; but if I had to narrow it down, I'd say, in order of appearance: The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, my uncle Issac, Classical guitar repertoire including Bach and most of the Spanish composers, Joni Mitchell, Jim Hall, Bill Frisell and on and on.I'm currently into Wilco, Joanna Newsom, Lisa Germano, to name a few. Norm: When on tour, do you notice any differences in audiences from one city to the next, and if so, would you say that this may due to their geographical location. For example, how would you compare audiences in Vancouver to those in Toronto or Montreal insofar as your music is concerned? Dan: Yes, I'd say the main difference lies in how saturated the market is. In Calgary, for instance, where there isn't as much traffic in terms of touring bands, I tend to get a warmer and more appreciative reception than in Toronto, where, although I play plenty of great gigs, the audiences are somewhat numbed by the sheer volume of musicians around. Then again, performances are always different and anything I think is the rule is always put into question as soon as I play an unexpectedly great gig in the least likely situation. Norm: What challenges or obstacles do you encounter while traveling and performing? How did you overcome these challenges? Dan: I get nervous a lot. I'm fine when I'm actually performing, but I generally get stressed a couple of hours before the show. It's really important for me to eat and rest appropriately so that the stress doesn't take a toll on my performances. I generally try to put aside a certain amount of time every day that I'm on tour to warming up or to my sitting (meditation) practice. Norm: Which is your favorite city to perform in? Why? Dan: I can't say that I have one. Anywhere where the people are receptive and supportive becomes the best city. Norm How do you get the inspiration for your song and music writing? Dan: I love music. It's not hard to get inspired, what's hard is following through and staying consistent with my writing practice. I find that the only way to get to where I want to be expression-wise is to spend the time it takes; and you never know how long that's going to be, so you just keep going! Norm: What was the first piece of music you ever wrote? What was the reaction? Dan: I can't remember. It was probably something in the classical guitar idiom. I've always made sure to ask people who I knew would be supportive - a stacked deck, if you will, in my favor. Norm: Do you set yourself daily, weekly, yearly goals? If so, what are some of your goals? Dan: Yes, I definitely have to set daily goals, otherwise a whole day passes me buy, and I feel like I've done nothing. These goals are rewarding because I can say, for example, I'm going to work on words for an hour, and then at the end of the hour I've done it - it might all be shit, but at least I've stayed with it, and it'll likely turn into something good at some point. In contrast, saying that I want to tour the world by the time I'm 33 is a bit more difficult to materialize. Ultimately, I know that if I keep writing and touring, I will get led to greater accomplishments in my craft as well as a greater fan base with more touring opportunities. Norm: You are a guitarist, song writer, poet, and arranger. Which of the above do you prefer and why? Dan: At this point, I'm a singer-songwriter. It's what I practice on a daily basis, and it's how I'm starting to become known. Norm: I understand that in Canada there are Music Festival Travel Grants as well as other travel grants that assist professional Canadian musicians to perform at festivals outside their province or territory of residence. Apparently, these grants are given to introduce experience artists to new audiences at an early stage of their career to a wider public. Have you ever received this assistance and if so, could you tell our audience how beneficial have they been from the point of view of furthering your career? Dan: Yes, I've received some assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts and it has been extremely helpful. I got a tour grant last year, for instance, which allowed me to tour across the country. Although the tour wasn't as well organized as I'd hoped for, it did provide me with a new network of people across the country who have since become very supportive, including my current manager, Candace Elder. Norm: Do you think there is some kind of a connection between music and travel? Dan: Absolutely. Traveling, whether physical or emotional, provides a new perspective, or a new backdrop, if you will, to your old script. It makes your story seem a little more vibrant, and therefore, worthy of being documented, which of course, is one of the main purposes of art. Norm What is next for Dan Goldman and is there anything you wish to add that we have not covered? Dan: I have a tour beginning in August that I hope will bring me from coast to coast. I'm also working on some new songs and am really excited to record them in the new year. Thanks Dan and good luck with all of your future endeavors. Thanks Norm To read more about Dan or listen to his music check out his site at www.dangoldman.ca Norm Goldman is the Editor of the travel site, http://www.sketchandtravel.com and the book reviewing site, http://www.bookpleasures.com. Norm is also a travel writer and together with his artist wife, Lily Azerad-Goldman, the couple meld words with art focusing on romantic destinations.
MORE RESOURCES:
Music - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Downfall Of The #1 Southern Gospel Station Back in the 90's we had a local Southern Gospel station (I can't remember the name. You'll see why if you keep reading). Open Position Piano Chords - Perfect for the New Age Style The Open Position Chord (OPC) allows you to create a vented sound. A sound that is open, literally, as opposed to the closed triads taught in most course books. Say Something The music of Rush influences and inspires, at least that's what it's done for me over the past 25 years. Now, the question is, is the music that powerful, or am I just too easy to inspire? Both I guess. Musicians Injuries: OUCH, It Hurts When I Play (But Please Dont Tell Me To Stop!) This article takes a look at musicians' injuries. For an expert perspective, I interviewed Dr. 10 Ways for Unknown Musicians to Get the Word Out When Clear Channel controls the radio and the monopoly newspaper doesn't like you, how do you win over new audiences?The good news: there are many, many ways. Here are ten of my favorites. Try Some New Music! Stuck in a music rut?It happens. After listening to your favorite song 1,379,614 times, you will, eventually, get sick of it. How to Compose Using ABA Form ABA form is like a musical sandwich. You have the 2 slices of bread with the contrasting meat and cheese on the inside. Does Your CD Cover $ell (Or Suck)? Oh, I know the last part of the title (Suck) isn't a very pleasant description to apply to anyone's CD cover. But, in the interest of plain old honesty, and to face our demons head on, I wanted to (again) utilize a worst case scenario that we can only improve from. Breathing Space in Music While most students want to know when to play certain notes and chords, it's equally important to know when not to play. For example, I had a student who knew how to improvise and play in the New Age style. Born into musical family, Michael Jackson is as big as ever today Michael Jackson was born Michael Joseph Jackson on August 29, 1958 (making him 47 as of year 2005) to Joseph and Katherine Jackson in Gary, Indiana. He was the seventh of nine siblings. Warner Music Executive Payments "In human life, art may arise from almost any activity, and once it does so, it is launched on a long road of exploration, invention, freedom to the limits of extravagance, interference to the point of frustration, finally discipline, controlling constant change and growth." Susanne Langer (1895-1985)CommentaryIn these times of major record label mergers, downsizing, the slashing of label rosters, and thousands of record company jobs being lost over the last three years--not to mention the enormous sea change and seismic shifts that technology has wrought--comes one of the most disturbing reports we have come across. How to Play What you Feel Many students think that being able to play what you feel is difficult. They believe you must have years and years of training in improvisation and theory. Patriotic Music: Surprising Secrets About Those Flag-Waving Sounds Whether played by a marching band, an orchestra, or a rock group, there are patriotic tunes that everyone in America finds familiar, exciting and uplifting. But how much do you know about how these songs were created? And what do you know about the people who wrote them?There are some surprising facts behind all of this glorious music. The Dark Side of P2P File Sharing P2P file sharing programs are free. Period. 5 Ways to Enjoy Your Music Files OK, say you've got one thousand of your favorite MP3 songs sitting in your hard disk. What's the best way to enjoy those files? Most of us probably will use the Windows Media Player to listen to those files. Music and Emotion The Age-old Puzzle of Human ResponseIf you've listened to more than a little music, you've most likely received an emotional reaction from some of it. You've probably noticed that whenever that happens, the effect is initially unexpected and varies in its intensity. Are iPods Changing the Way We Listen to Music They're everywhere, and not only are they everywhere, they look cool too. Since its launch in 2001, 10 million have sold and 8 million of those were in 2004. Interested in Improving the Sound of Your Stereo? Consider Records Introduced in 1982, the compact disc was intended to provide better sound than the 40-year-old long-play record album, popularly known as the LP. Using a laser rather than a diamond needle for playback the compact disc was smaller, more convenient to use, and less susceptible to damage than the LP. Five Secrets to Playing in the New Age Style 1. Learn how to ImproviseLearning how to improvise is the key to playing in this style. Music Practice Techniques for Learning Repertory These practice tips were written for fiddlers. I've used them in classical violin also.
|
 |