Tuesday I told you I was trying to make sure I didn't get too carried away with the bad habit of under nourishing my creative side. And today it's no different. Tuesday I shared I went to an art show last week and loved it. I bought a $4.00 magazine ,still loving it. And I totally left out that I had friendship time with my two friends Amanda and Dave. We headed to Entree, a visual arts and fine dining event series developed and hosted by Concrete Cakes and Common Ground Management. Not only did we get to watch some really good independent films and taste neat eats prepared by local entrepreneurs, there was a live musical performance by this week's Phindout out Phriday feature, David Live.
I totally snagged this interview from one of my favorite Philly bloggers and he's not unfamiliar to the blog, Garron Gibbs of Concrete Cakes. Read and enjoy!
It's not too often that you’ll find someone who can combine many talents and be equally versed in each one. This is why I am beyond impressed by Mr. David Live. David is the total package — singer, songwriter, AND musician. We had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Live to hear his story as well as get FOUR exclusive performances for our visitors. If you love great music, you’re in for a real good time. You might as well pop some popcorn or grab a glass of wine and relax as Mr. Live brings you an excellent performance. To find out where David Live will be performing LIVE visit www.TheDavidLive.com
CAKES: Please introduce yourself for our visitors.
LIVE: I’m David Live, singer, songwriter, musician, producer, you name it, I got it.
CAKES: Describe the moment when you decided that you wanted to become a singer.
LIVE: I did my first show when I was seven. It was a rendition of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal. I had the white suite, hat, everything. But the moment was actually the audition for that show. It was just a local elementary school talent show but we had to audition and most of the kids got in but they still wanted that audition process. So during the audition, after the music came on and people started clapping, that’s where that spark came from. You know, you’re on stage and you start dancing, doing the choreography and I kinda just broke out into my own thing. So from that day, I said this is what God wants me to do.
CAKES: Ok, well it’s one thing to have talent but it’s another to have that talent turn into a profession. So what steps did you take to hone your craft and turn it into a profession?
LIVE: Good question. Well, the first thing I did was get some training. I didn’t like it but I knew that with any profession, you need to develop. You know, if you want to be a doctor, you gotta go to Med School. So the first thing I did was get with some local producers. At the time, I was in North Carolina and some church musicians introduced me to a singing instructor so I took some lessons. I only took three because she was really expensive, but I learned a whole lot and just kept repeating the process and I continued to get better. Then I started to write more and reading other people’s writings. I liked to go through the hits and read those lyrics and figure out how they put this stuff together. Then you start mimicking the artists you love and for me it was D’angelo, Maxwell, Stevie, Michael Jackson (of course) but when I got introduced to Prince that really opened up the emotional side of music for me. So just from then on, studying and studying and then going to the studio and doing my own thing.
CAKES: I read on your website that you’re from New York and you started recording at the Hit Factory but eventually moved to Virginia after it closed. Since New York is considered to be the hub for the music industry, what made you decide to move?
LIVE: That was an interesting thing. I was playing guitar for Rahsaan Patterson at the time and his manager got me into the Hit Factory. And I was working with their engineers while they were working on some projects; sticking around long enough to get some attention. And then weeks, months pass and I read in the newspaper, “HIT FACTORY CLOSES.” I’m calling everybody and no one is picking up the phone so I’m like, what do we do now? At the time, Rahsaan’s manager had to fly out to LA for like 5 months. And I was stuck in New York, broke, no money, no job — because singing was it. And so, I couldn’t take it anymore. I called my family, who had already moved to Richmond, Virginia and then I moved down there. And it was a good place because if you’ve ever been to Richmond, it’s kind of slow and quiet so it was a good place to just sit down and listen. I got the chance to sit down and figure out who I was as a person and as an artist. And that really opened me up and led me to taking that initial frustration and putting it into the music.
CAKES: What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
LIVE: Hurry up lol. Um…number one, please get in your Word. Please find God. Please. And number two, when it comes to the music, stop trying to be everybody else. I deal with a lot of rappers because I produce as well and it seems like everybody wants to be Lil Wayne. The individuality is so scarce right now, it frustrates me. Even with singing, people are making songs to just get girls or have the best song in the club. But music is just an outlet, so get good at finding out who you are and what you want to say. And it’s scary because you can’t play that in the club because everybody is different but tell that to all the artists who are big now. Tell that to Andre 3000.
CAKES: What’s next for David Live?
LIVE: THE WORLD! lol. Um…I’ve started working on my next project and this time around, I’m used to producing my own sound and playing all my own instruments. I’ve asked for some assistance from some Grammy award winning musicians and we’re going to make just a wonderful sound. I’m getting better at moods and dynamics of sound and melodies…I’m just growing.
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