Today we’d like to introduce you to David Gates.
Hi David, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Music has always been a part of my life. Both my parents were musicians that either toured, gigged, or worked within the realm of music for the majority of their careers, going from playing live and session work, to radio, so their influence combined was the primary inspiration behind following that in my own life.
I’ve only been in DFW for 4 years and spent my first 23 years of life in New Jersey. Dallas holds a special place in my heart though since it’s my wife’s hometown and it’s the place I took the leap of going full-time music!
I met my wife (Mary Margaret) in Manhattan while leading the music at a church there. She lived in NYC to go to school and visited the church I was working at. We met that first day she visited and that’s where our story began. After she moved back home to Dallas, I decided to finish my Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University, proposed to Mary Margaret, and followed her here (I even had my degree mailed instead of graduating in person).
I had sung and played in churches since probably somewhere around 2007 (Although I did the Children’s Christmas Concert thing for many years prior to that!) I started out singing and playing drums as a kid (Like my dad), started playing guitar in middle school, and began writing and producing my own music in high school. Today, I’m still writing, playing, and producing music (my own and others). Primarily playing guitar and singing in bands, solo/duo acts in public and private venues, and doing anything from guitar, drums, bass, and vocals at churches throughout DFW.
I am very grateful and excited for where I am in life and all that’s still to come!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My family had always been supportive of my dream growing up, which is awesome! Not everyone has that starting out so I’m definitely thankful for that. I remember many comments as kid from “grown-ups” when I told them I wanted to be a musician that were discouraging, regardless of their intention. Something in the vein of “Okay, but what will you *actually* do for a living”. I generally maintained a pretty determined outlook in response to any comment like that, but it could definitely bring about some internal doubts at times.
My dad, who worked in music for his whole life and always supported and encouraged me throughout my own life, passed away suddenly in 2016, which was devastating to me and my family. Pr0bably the most challenging event and time in my life. It was a really difficult, defining moment to lose him at that point in my life. I had just turned 21, and, although we worked together on various music projects I had and had a good relationship, I felt like I didn’t get a chance to talk with him and build that relationship that often comes later to a parent/child. One that would’ve reflected the mutual musician connection as well as more of a friendship between us.
Another challenging season would be moving to Texas. While I love being here and had a good group to support me during that change, it was, no doubt, a big change to go from living at home in NJ to suddenly living in an entirely new state somewhat on my own (aside from my new fiancé and her family). It always takes time in a situation like that to adapt to a new environment/culture, and just build up new relationships in a new place.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a musician and artist. I write, sing, play, and produce both my own and other’s music. From week to week, I am typically writing or producing music for myself or others, doing session work, like recording vocals for songs that others have written, playing/singing at a church on Sundays, and going to perform live at either a public or private event/venue as a solo act, duo, or with the band, I sing in, Spjork.
I would say singing is my specialty. I am proud of my productions for others and especially on my original music. When I’m playing live, I play a wide range of covers, but particularly love covering artists like Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Michael Jackson, etc. A love of Motown and R&B is something I got from my dad!
When playing at a public venue like a restaurant, sometimes the amount of people can vary, depending on the night. My goal when playing live, regardless of the amount of people there, is to perform at a high level, treat the people (Crowd, staff, or otherwise) with respect and kindness, and just have fun doing what I love!
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Musically, I like to take risks where I can/where I hear or feel it. Always trying to remind myself of the difference between doing something “correctly” or because it’s expected and doing it because I like or love it.
All that to say, I’m a fan of the “calculated risk”. Uprooting from New Jersey to Texas can definitely be viewed as one of those big “real-life” risks, but it wasn’t one I took lightly or decided quickly. When it comes to writing my own music, I do like to try things that are unexpected, and I try not to even consider if “the masses” will like it, as I just don’t find that to be the point and I don’t find it helpful in creating more music
Contact Info:
- Website: davidgatesmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidgatesmusic
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/davidgatesmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZwNaD2Exfin_NXMAg-bFKQ
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/davidgates
Image Credits
Mary Margaret Gates
