We caught up with the brilliant and insightful David Haerle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi David, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
Neither. My story is one of being a late bloomer, which has worked out well for me from my perspective.
I wanted to be a lead guitar rock star when I was a teenager. Along with other music of the era, I was absorbing the work of all my guitar heroes, players such as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Ted Nugent, Eddie Van Halen and Frank Zappa, to name a few. I played in bands up until I was 18 or 19. After my first few jobs I got involved with a business career in the music field as an agent at International Creative Management, which was a terrific early experience for me. Then my father died suddenly in 1990. I was 24 at the time. He had started an independent record label called CMH Records (now CMH Label Group) in 1975. His company was a small one and had been on difficult times for several years prior to his passing. I did not like the idea of seeing his life’s work sold off, or disposed of through bankruptcy, or just left to wither away. So I took a week or two to think over my life and career. I decided to give running his company a shot, and I resigned from my job. I really took to working at the record label, and never looked back for the next twenty years.
After those twenty years and through a series of catalysts, I decided and was able to start working part-time at the record label, and begin writing and creating music of my own during the other portion of my work-week. It has been quite the journey for me, and I found that I had, and continue to have, much more to write about than I ever would have in my teens or twenties. I could take inspiration from my heroes, but I had no need to be like them, which of course is impossible anyway. So starting late has had some real benefits for me from a creativity standpoint.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am someone in their little corner of the world creating art and hopefully bringing enjoyment to others. My art comes in the form of songs, many of them story songs about my own life and the lives of friends and loved ones. In some of my songs I am able to express my views and outlook on life, lessons I have learned, and insights I have gained. I would also note that I am an example of someone whose “day job” is financially supporting, at least currently, their art. I am grateful my job can do that and that I can pursue my desire to write and record original music. Would I enjoy commercial success if I were to have it? Of course, and that would be a bonus indeed. But I get great satisfaction from what I am doing regardless.
I also happen to love the business part of my career and I really enjoy the work I do at the record label. I am thankful that the company has done well, and I am grateful to my colleagues for that, and for the fact that it allows me to spend a part of my time making my own music.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
A director I have worked with, Sabrina Doyle, once told me something a person who was a source of inspiration to her had said. That it was all about creating “a body of work.” I really connected with that idea. I realized that what was important to me was creating and leaving behind my own body of work. For me that meant songs I wrote and recordings I made. Further, I was also inspired by and related to an idea Neil Armstrong expressed, something along the lines of what brings us the most satisfaction in life is knowing we went to the limits of our capacities or abilities. I wanted to find out what was the best work I could do given the talent, resources and imagination I have. So that is another motivation for doing what I do.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There are many rewards. There is simply the joy of creating. And the joy of sharing that creation with others. The satisfaction of getting better at something. Knowing I have headed regret off at the pass by actually doing that which I dreamed about in my youth. I think the time I spend in the early mornings writing lyrics with a guitar beside me is one of the most peaceful times I experience in life. I love the time I spend working in the studio and with my band. I also feel I am documenting parts of my life and aspects of the lives of others, which also brings me satisfaction.
Contact Info:
- Website: davidhaerle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidhaerlela/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidhaerlela/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-haerle-6b745b6/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidHaerleLA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEHmXJDt8TeXGuXn_knNPVw
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2PUMGhFDBVpw2a09LD3P3R?si=YabiZqS2RQCR9pWO8Ssyiw&nd=1 Apple/iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/david-haerle/1203077569 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=David+Haerle&i=digital-music&search-type=ss&ref=ntt_srch_drd_B01MYH3UT9 Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/artist/david-haerle/AR4bf27h35PVfzc
Image Credits
My image photographer credits are in the file names of each of the three photos uploaded. Two photos are photographed by Michael Pottle and one photo is photographed by Jenna Schoenefeld. (Please see photo file extensions). In the photo of the band (David Haerle and Edendale): pictured left to right are: Jose Salazar, Carson Cohen, Reade Pryor, David Haerle