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

Derek W. , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I started playing piano around 8 years old and switched to guitar at 13. From there on out I’ve been hooked on music. My grandfather was a carpenter but when he got off work at night he’d break out an instrument and show me a few licks. I eventually took a few guitar lessons from a local teacher and once I graduated high school I left to study guitar at Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles. I was lucky enough to get a gig with a signed artist in LA and we bounced around different studios working on his album with multiple producers. This gave me a behind the curtain look at not only how songs are written but also how they’re recorded and mixed. 



If you want to speed up your learning process, get around other people that are doing what you want to do at a more advanced level. I learned more in the first 6 months at school in LA than I had in the previous 6 years in my small town. You don’t want to be the big fish in a small pond for too long.

Playing multiple instruments has helped me as a songwriter and producer. I think it’s important to know the role that each instrument plays in a song so you can make the correct decisions when issues arise.

Procrastination is an obstacle that you’re constantly battling. I try to maintain a daily routine for learning new stuff to keep moving in the right direction. Also, the financial side of things can be a challenge but today there are a lot of music education videos and sound engineering tutorials that you can learn from online for free.

Derek W. , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an Emmy nominated songwriter and music producer currently living in New Orleans. After studying music in Los Angeles, I toured and recorded with a signed artist for a few years and learned the ropes of the music industry. I then set out to be an artist and producer in my own right. In 2024, I was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for the song “Shine” that I co-wrote with actress Jophielle Love. As an artist, you can find my first album, “A Good Day To Be Alone”, wherever you stream music. I’d describe the sound as Americana and I drew inspiration from a mix of my favorite musical influences including Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, The Band, George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom Petty and more. I’m currently recording my 2nd album and plan to release it in late 2024 or early 2025. As a music producer, I offer a one stop shop for any artist looking to record a single or album. I’ve recorded, mixed and even mastered most of the recent albums I’ve worked on, saving the artists money while still producing quality music.

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

Being an artist and having an outlet for expression is such a gift. I get to create a world of my own and share it with others through music. I can pull from my real life experiences or completely make something up or do a mix of both. Music is infinite and there’s always more to learn which keeps things interesting.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

People can support artists by going to live events, buying merch or contributing directly to the artist for future projects. New Orleans also has a few grant programs that artists can apply to for help with creative projects.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derek_w_dooms_music
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Derek-W-Dooms-61551566972185/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@derekwdooms
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/derek_w_dooms_music
• Other: Linktree:

  https://linktr.ee/derekwdooms

Image Credits

Alex Holeman
Jenn Jeffers
Analiese De Saw