We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daniel Gamboa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Daniel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I come from a musical background and was privileged to be surrounded by great teachers and professionals through my father and his coworkers. During my childhood he specialized in recording and built a studio which we still own and operate. When it comes to speeding up my learning process, I don’t believe that there is a shortcut to learning the craft of music. It is a personal experience and only advances and matures as you dive deeper into it.
Some of the most essential skills you can develop are timing, theory and musicality. It’s not always about how many notes you can stick/force into a phrase. It’s more about listening and waiting for the correct moment to use those fills, runs or chops. It’s great to have those skills but they are useless if you don’t have the discipline to use them correctly.
As far as obstacles, I believe life will always throw you a variety of difficult situations that require difficult decisions. In short, the only obstacle is your own mentality. If you think that you have learned it all and that you know everything you will never advance.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been playing music for over 30 years. I started when I was a small child. I grew up accompanying my father to studio sessions. I was surrounded by some of the best musicians Houston had to offer at the time. I was blessed to be able to see them perform at a high level and to see the dedication and effort that went into the craft of music production and performance. After seeing that, I was hooked and never stopped playing music and honing my craft.

I currently offer music lessons, recording services and live music. One of the things that sets me apart in the industry is that I understand the process completely from multiple angles. I believe that being thorough is the best way to make sure your project truly becomes what you want to express through your music.
As a teacher, I also believe that every student deserves the ability to learn music and experience the fulfillment that comes with it.

I am proud to say that anytime I either record or perform, I am always in the company of great musicians. You can always expect me to surround myself with people that inspire me and challenge me to be better than I already am.

To future fans/followers, know that I will always try to improve myself and do my best to make a performance special and energetic whether it’s in the studio or on a live stage. This extends to the bands that I perform with and create with.
Right now I am a part of 3 main groups: Alias, Stoneside and The Skylights. I do play with other groups but these are my main groups.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Musicians and creatives provide more than just entertainment. We provide a release from the difficulties of everyday life and help people to truly decompress and enjoy their time.

I believe that musicians and creatives need a raise in acceptable pay rates for performances. Alot of other business owners benefit from our performances and talents but undervalue our worth and compensate us accordingly.

If this was done, it would result in a more competitive environment for musicians and would allow people to truly make their passion a career. This would result in higher levels of creativity and would raise the bar for all creatives which would allow for a more supportive and encouraging environment.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, I’d have to say that one of the most rewarding aspects is that I get to decide what I create and why. My original sounds, songs and compositions all serve as a canvas for me to paint and create. This results in music that I believe in, not just because it’s good but because it becomes an avenue for me to showcase my thoughts, feelings and views of the world around me.

But hands down, the greatest thing is to come across people who are touched by a song, a performance or a composition. Being able to transmit myself in my work and finding others who can not only empathize but see themselves in my work is a great priviledge.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://koji.to/danieldoesdrums

Image Credits
Daniel Does Drums