Interview With An Up And Coming Musician From Toronto, Dan
Goldman
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 CLICK
www.dangoldman.ca