Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gareth Hunter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gareth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
Never had an issue with when I started but more so with slowing down the process because of fear of risks involved. I wish I had stayed strictly on my creative path. Over the years (during financial hardships) I would take time to venture into a 9-5 job that appeared more stable or safe. Each event occurred right when my career slowed and the stress as well as lack of emotional support to push through became too much- so I would take on a 9-5 job for a few months that some times turned into a couple of years. I never quit working my creative craft and still generated income, however, the worse thing that could happen to a creative in mid stride of building a career occurred- I became COMFORTABLE with the perceived financial stability from the 9-5. This made the risks of going back into the creative world appear to be too much so I avoided or minimized the risk by not over committing to musical work in order to keep my 9-5 secure. It wasn’t until the 9-5 markets completely dried up for me that I jumped back into my craft headfirst and found some stability on the other side of allot of challenges. Don’t think that I’m saying things are a bed of thorn-less roses now but at least my stability is all MINE. Up until the age of 27 all I knew was a career as a musician and music producer. As a child prodigy my objective was to stay on the path that was clearly carved out in my mind and spirit regardless of the “appearance” of risks. I understand now that the appearance of risk only matters if you allow it to distract you from your goals.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started as a child prodigy at age 4 with first music competition in Denver Colorado, placed 3rd amongst adults. By age 7 I had performed throughout the US in my Father’s bands as a percussionist and drummer as well as appearing on regional and national television shows. One of my highlights was being a featured performer with the Florida State University Jazz Band under the direction of Mr. Fred Kennedy at age 7. My teen years were used to develop my craft as a drummer/percussionist and I entered college under a full Jazz Band scholarship. I began composing at age 15 and received a composing contract from H&H Recordings under A&M Music A&R Head Clinton Harris Sr at age 19. Under his leadership I was exposed to more seasoned Composers and Producers and participated in various projects of which few made it past the demo stages with major and independent labels. Four years later I teamed up with an investor and released “Round and Round” that peaked at #4 regionally and would span as far as Vietnam before the end of that year. I toured as a Drummer with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Clarence Carter( 24 years old). I have produced work featuring Tasha Larae, Jeffery Lewis, Zuri Craig and Dancehall Legends Beenie Man, Anthony Malvo. I am currently preparing the release of my short film (featuring my original music) “The Inner Place of Eden” and have a distribution deal with Universal Music/Ingrooves/Sound Republica. As an independent production entity I have released 5 singles between 2019 and 2020 with the pandemic unfortunately causing a revamp of release dates and products.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
The first thing society can do to better support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem is realize the immense power that they have. Gone are the days that program directors and radio jocks choose what is “good music”; replaced by social media outlets, playlist services and online radio stations programed based on the listeners clicks or popularity based on follower numbers of an artists. In other words, society has the power to make and break artists these days with the click of a mouse or by merely streaming a song repeatedly in order to entice an algorithm to title the next sensation as “found”! My request to society at large would be to take whom you click on, stream, view or follow more serious. They are the new A&R of all of the independent artists and creatives in what once was the “music business”.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
That what they see is a finished product of a long journey. In the entertainment climate of today, some of the non-creatives are actually those releasing music due to being able to download music tracks for a low fee, affordable home studios and financially friendly distribution services. This leads many to believe it’s that simple to become successful in music entertainment only to discover that they are sadly mistaken. I have a relative that told me many years ago that I should have won a Grammy by that time; that if he had my talent he would have placed a top ten Billboard hit, etc, etc, etc by then. I informed him that if he was willing to ignore his morals, cut throats of those that he built his career with and/or sacrifice activities like socializing or even building a family, then with my talent he could quickly have those things. There’s so much beyond recording a good song that goes into this art form such as promotions/marketing and actually knowing the business. Most non-creatives can’t get past the vanity portion of entertainment and honestly, that’s what makes it art; we make it look easy and effortless but it is far from either.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.garethhunter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garethhunterpresents
- Facebook: theofficialgarethhunterpresents
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/garethhunterpresents
Image Credits
JB for A Place Called Beautiful Photography Salon Katlyne Hill for Katlyne Hill Photography Models: Lynette McKinney, Amber, Nell L. Coleman Stylist: Joffrey Caldwell Makeup: Simply Gorgeous Studio Assistant: Dez Watkins