Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dale New. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dale, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

For a few years, I had been attending open mics and trying to get my foot in the door to getting at least one music gig. I reached out to one of the friends I had made along the way who booked me at a paid gig. To help my exposure, I started doing some free and lesser paying gigs hoping it would lead to more. Eventually, it did. Within a few weeks of my first paid gig, between the positive feedback I had received and the networking I was doing with venues and bookers I was soon filling up my schedule. I went from playing 3 gigs a week to upwards of 10 gigs a week in the span of 2 months! Before I knew it, I was able to support my wife and our new baby. One thing I would probably change is exploring more avenues originally. If I had gone to several different open mics instead of just a couple, things might have taken off a little sooner.

Dale, 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 started playing guitar when I was around 12, and even though I originally started to just look cool, I found I really enjoyed learning and playing it. I had sung in choir in church and in school, so music was already a part of my daily life. I practiced everyday and tried to perfect my skills. One of my biggest inspirations is Ed Sheeran, so I was extremely excited when my parents bought me a loop pedal for my birthday one year. It allows me to play or sing/beatbox an effect and play it continuously whenever I need it. From there, I can build an entire backing track in real time on stage. Now, I not only use a loop pedal in my shows but I’ve been able to add things like a harmonizer pedal, bass pedal etc. I’ve also been able to add other instruments into my set like my piano and harmonica. I play such a mix of music, all the oldies up to the recents, but I pride myself on making all the tracks sound as close to the original as I can with my own twist.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me personally, there’s nothing better than when I can see people having a good time listening to my music. I often think of myself as the background music at a lot of places I play, but then I’ll lookup and see people dancing or singing along and I know their experience is elevated because their jamming to the live music. I try really hard to give my all every gig I play, even if it’s just me and the bartender. So when I get the gratification of people loving what they’re hearing, it’s really amazing.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I think a lot of people have this misconception that the more aggressive they are when it comes to the entertainment industry, the farther they’ll get. While it may be true for some, I’ve found the exact opposite to be true. Making meaningful connections with people all the way from servers at different bars and restaurants to the bookers themselves, kindness goes a long way. I try not to be the typical “moody musician” (even if everyone has their days) but I try to remember what it was like being on the other side working as a server for many years.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/DaleNewMusic
• Facebook: DaleNewMusic
• Youtube: DaleNewMusic