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.
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