We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dan Martins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dan below.

Dan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Growing up, I was always surrounded by music. My parents are massive Bruce Springsteen fans, and they always played albums like Born to Run on the stereo when I was a kid. As time went on, I developed a deep love for all kinds of music, but it wasn’t until I was 10 years old where I realized I wanted to play an instrument. I begged my mom to let me play guitar, but I never fully got the hang of it, but then in 8th grade, I saw a classmate playing drums and I decided I wanted to do that. So my mom – reluctantly! – got me drum sticks, a practice pad, and a month’s worth of lessons, and from there, I fell in love with playing drums.

Dan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I played drums all throughout my teen years, but it wasn’t until I got to my senior year of high school that I decided I wanted to try and do it in a professional manner. So I applied- and got into- a music performance program at Centennial College in Toronto, which I did for 3 years.

Currently, I play drums in a hard rock band called The Ceremony, but I also keep my schedule open for other freelance recording or gig opportunities.

Throughout the years, I am most proud of the network that I have built. I have met so many incredible musicians that have become some of my closest friends, and I am also truly proud of my perseverance and dedication to what I do.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding thing, to me, is having my work recognized and complimented. When I was 15, I played my first professional gig, and one of the parents compared my drumming to John Bonham from Led Zeppelin. That made me feel unbelievably good, but I had to remember to not let it get to my head!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

If you know someone who is creative, just liking/sharing/retweeting their material can go a long way!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: illicitdrums
• Linkedin: Dan Martins

Image Credits

Jacqueline Woods Photography