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

Andrew, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

As I approached graduation day for my Master’s in Music degree from the University of Southern California, I realized that so many of my colleagues that graduated ahead of me were having a difficult time finding work. They were going back to school, pursuing alternate degrees with the promise of lucrative employment. I had already spent an enormous amount of time learning the craft of classical guitar and was determined to not be derailed from my musical journey. USC, an awesome institution, afforded me the opportunity to meet the most high profile musicians in the world, especially within the guitar community. All of them, without fail, insisted that the next step for me was to relocate to Europe, specifically Germany because there, the general population consumes much classical music and it would be the prime location to begin a performance career. Of course I was thrilled at the prospect of moving to Europe, but I had never been, knew no one, did not speak the language and had no source of income. I was able to raise some meager funds to launch this new chapter and bought a one-way ticket to Hamburg. I settled into a hostel, and wrote letters to some 400 churches and asked for the privilege to play for their congregation in return for donations. That raised enough funds to record my first CD and I used that as a promotional tool to secure more concerts. After a year or so of living on a dollar a day, I signed with an agent and found stability in my career. I ended up staying in Europe for a decade and then decided it was time to come back to the States and continue my professional career in Higher Education.

Andrew, 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 was exposed to Music, in what I will call a Global way, in that the three components of music (namely performance, history and theory), where part of my world from infancy. My mother was a musician who instilled in me the sense of the symbiotic relationship among those disciplines as I began my musical training on the piano. The rigor of daily practice yielded measurable results and I was firmly entrenched in the musical track for a career in the field. I discovered the guitar at 10 and realized that was going to be my instrument. I have many vivid memories of the first few days with my guitar in hand. I reached the 10,000-hour rule before I was out of junior high. That rule, coined by Gladwell M. Outliers in his 2008 book The Story of Success, states that the key to achieving true expertise in any skill, is a matter of correct practice for 10,000 hours. That will give you ownership of that skill. I was able to see a career path, although not well-defined, when I was still in high school. I worked as a studio musician starting at 16. This gave me access to high-tech recording technology and I was able to record with my own band, two albums before I graduated. Leaving high school behind, I wanted to travel far to begin my college career. That started at Boston University and ended at The University of Southern California with two degrees (Bachelor and Master of Music). Following my studies in Los Angeles, I moved to Europe to continue my musical journey. I think the most valuable asset for anyone in a creative field, is the ability to solve puzzles. When you can think creatively, it helps you navigate the world, which really is just a series of puzzles to solve. Being a professor of music gives me the platform to cultivate that skill in my students and that is the most rewarding part of my musical life.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My move to Europe immediately after I graduated from USC, without any frame of reference of what would follow, was exciting. I had no real expectations other than I wanted to share the guitar with others. I knew no one, not the language, customs or culture but I knew it was the right place for me. My meager funds only got me through the inchoate beginnings so I had extreme budget restrictions. What I did have, in abundance, was time to practice. Those years took my playing to a new place, a new connection with my instrument that altered that relationship. I feel that now I can get out of the way in performance and let my guitar speak.

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

Educating my students on the extreme value of creativity. Not that it is difficult to measure, but conventional methods of value assessment do not apply. How do we measure the healing nature of music? Or how music alters our brain waves so that we can think and focus our attention to details that otherwise stay hidden from view? When I teach students to harness their creative potential, I see a grand hope for the future. On a personal note, having played in so many countries early in my career, the most satisfying concert for me happened this past Fall. My son André, who is an accomplished violinist well on his way to a rewarding career in Music, gave me the privilege, beyond measure, of playing on my last faculty recital. Seeing young people do great things, and to have a role in that development, is the most rewarding part of my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.andrewdanielguitar.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCglXwVA4y0QTWx2NAmXJmIg
• Other: www.andrewdanielpianotuning.com

Image Credits
Clifton R. Daniel