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

David , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

When you’re an artist you try to make every project meaningful. That meaning changes from project to project, but every time you are creating music you are forming a connection with the audience or the other musicians you are creating with. That connection is where music is most spiritually rewarding.

Nowhere have I found this connection more intense than with the musicians I am currently working with in the band Sera Cero. We are releasing our first album together, titled La Estacion, in July of 2022. The writing, arranging, rehearsing and recording of this record was a almost psychedelic. We were all completely in service of the song. We constantly surprised ourselves and pushing our own boundaries, We would sit back and hear things through the speakers on playback and could hear how connected we were each other. And that’s what music is at its best, right? It’s a way to make us all feel connected and like we found “our people.”

As a songwriter, the writing of this album was uncomfortable and at times, straight up terrifying. Tony Ascanio, the band’s founder, brought me onboard to co-write this album with him. My greatest passion is songwriting, but Sera Cero is a Rock en Espanol band and I don’t speak Spanish. I wondered what I could bring to the project. Quickly, Tony and I hit a rhythm and it was powerful. Because I didn’t understand the words Tony and I had to be very explicit and vulnerable with each other as we communicated what the idea behind the lyrics were. We became hyper focused on how the music could best serve the emotion of the song. There seemed to be no ownership between the two of us. Whether it was an idea Tony had that I interpreted musically or an idea that I brought in that was translated to a language I don’t speak, everything I wrote had to be intentional and expressive. I don’t think any artist does their most creative work when they are comfortable and I see why. I think this album, La Estacion, is my best work and I owe a lot of that to the uncertainty and vulnerability.

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

I’m no different than any other musician. I started playing guitar at age 15 and could always be found sitting at the edge of my bed playing guitar when I should have been studying. I started playing in rock band as soon as I found others that were fool enough to spend their evenings in a dark bar or darker rehearsal rooms. As others found their ways to more noble pursuits I keep writing songs. I’ve spent my entire adult life performing with bands, writing, teaching and producing. Whether it’s as a writer, a performer, producer or teacher, I’m just trying to connect with people. I think of the way music make me feel when I first discovered an artist or a song that resonated with me, and I try to do that. That’s always the carrot and we never reach it. We have to keep trying because we owe it to the art. After all, it pulled me out of a dark place countless times.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

As Tony and I were writing this record and bringing it into the band it was always crucial to focus on the emotional content of the music to keep it rewarding and spiritually fulfilling. We wrote these songs during the quarantine and wanted these songs to bring us together as a group, because we really do love each other, and we believe that love and focus will connect us with the audience.

I think we are being conditioned right now to be very monochromatic in our consumption of art and entertainment. The journey on this record was to break out of that. I think we achieved that with “La Estacion”. Sera Cero is a group of different cultures, languages, upbringings and philosophies. If we can create music to create a better connection with each other our goal was to bring us closer with our audience.

I am a musician and a songwriter because I believe in this world. Playing shows, putting out records and teaching others how to use an instrument to communicate is a culture where I feel the most like myself and the most where I feel like I can connect to others. I believe artist can come out and get a group of people to change the way they see the world and the way they connect to others. That’s the revolution I want to be a part of.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think there is a misconception that writers sit around and wait for The Muse to knock on the door and it all comes in some sort of divinely inspired flow. I think people would be shocked at how much of our time is like any other job; hours of frustration before the ultimate payoff often punctuated by endless hours of busywork that have little to do with the job itself. When people see a show or listen to a record they hear the music and the lyrics they hope to enjoy or make a connection with. What they don’t see is the endless hours of practice or the wastepaper baskets of drafts that didn’t land. When people hear a great song, they don’t think of how the songwriter had that idea for months and spent so much time turning it over in every which way until they found the way to voice it just right.

And that’s not to mention how much time is spent doing things that have nothing to do with the creation just to try to get it to people’s eyes, ears, or hearts. I think people would be shocked if they knew all the time spent on social media, merchandising, branding just to get a name and product out. It can be overwhelming work especially as an independent artist where it’s all on you. And it’s really frustrating to sit there and think, “Okay, I’m a guitar player and songwriter and producer, but it seems like all I’m ever doing is creating marketing content. I would be so much better if I could just create.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.seracero.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/old_man_elbert/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seraceromusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Seraceromusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-bG-ln9vzFrYW0Pc1JToLg/featured