RecCenter.com

I wrote this for an interview just now. When your done reading my answer, leave me a comment telling me about something that changed your life....good or bad. "What's the one thing that changed your life completely, how did it affect you and why did it change your life?" ............... MUSIC!!!! For better or for worse this thing called music has changed my ENTIRE life. It led me in, seduced me, captivated me and then controlled every ounce of my being. It is responsible for all the heart breaks I received and for EVERYONE I dished out. I always chose music of my gf's. It made me believe that going to college was a waste of time and that my scholarship was worthless compared to a life of creating a sonically recorded lyric or sound that would be more then not, stolen or given away for free. It told me....I will give you all the things you desire for the most part but in return, I want your time, your energy, ALL of your money, your loyalty and always your soul and honesty. So I gave in. I would break up with girlfriends I loved very much sometimes just because I knew it would hurt me bad enough to write a better song. I would go on tour long enough to where I would miss my friends terribly, my dogs incredibly, and my loved ones (gf's (at the time), family) endlessly. I lived off of top ramen and drank lots of tap water and searched tirelessly for that "fix" that music gives you when you step on a stage and see people singing back at you, sometimes with tears in their eyes because simply "THEY KNOW". They know exactly what I went through and what im going through right now. They know because they go to school everyday and they hate it. They go to work and want to shoot someone sometimes. They know that the one thing that prevents them from doing all of that, is music. That feeling you get when the first 5 seconds of the song sends your body into complete euphoria, quite like the feeling im getting as I write this because it takes me immediately back to that moment when I heard Jimmy Eat World's CLARITY, and the riff started on "For me this is heaven" and I KNEW, that love was possible long past the heart break I had just went through a month previous, and my heart was renewed and I we t tears of joy like a little girl. Or the moment when AFI released Black Sails into the Sunset and the bass line with guitar feed back came in to the song "Exsanguination" and Davey Havok screams "yeah" but later in the song he exclaims "Just stumble and fall into a world that's over crowded. And you will find me. Won't recognize me; and I won't recognize myself. " and I once again knew that I was changing as a person and this song was reinforcing that change and music accepted that change. With all that said....music has continuously brought me to some of the most remote regions of this planet from the most snow covered parts of Alaska, to the beaches of souther Mexico into the ghettos of New Jersey. Its constantly showing me the world, but not just the physical and material aspects of the world, but the inner workings as well. It has shown me new cultures, new lives, it has shown me death and made me appreciate that coming and going of the tide of the world. For everything you take, there is something you must give and put back to complete the balance. It has brought incredible new people into my life that I know will always be apart of my life even when im long and gone. Whether they were friends or fans, they mean everything to me, even on days when I may not be able to show it. Music has also brought a lot of creepy smelly people into my life as well. So with everything, there is another side you must appreciate an enjoy. In the end, when I gave my physical and emotional life here on earth to music, I didn't quite know what I was getting myself into. Ive sat back on days and thought, what the hell am I doing. This thing music has made me miss my nephews first steps, my cousins wedding, my dads retirement, my loved ones birthdays, funerals of close friends that passed away and so much more. Why am I still giving in, why am I still putting myself through this. WHY!? I know why now. Music has saved my life and I have found my place in music and through it, I have been blessed to make that very same music that is now saving other peoples lives. Im now responsible for creating honest and passionate soul felt music that helps people with their addictions, that mends heartbreaks, that gives hope for tomorrow and reminds others to live. I know that if I didn't have music when I needed it, I would have had silence, and that silence would made me feel like noone was listening when I was in the deepest depths of my soul and I had nothing else to turn to. So here I am, writing an answer to a question that has been playing in my head ever since I heard those first clips of music that grabbed me and I have no clue where any of this will take me and to be honest. I really don't care anymore. I really don't have anymore expectations for what it is supposed to be like, or where its supposed to go. I don't care if it never makes it to MTV or mainstream radio. I don't care if I ever tour again (altho if I never did, I would miss all of you kids out there terribly! You are my heart) All I care now, is being happy and knowing that as long as the music I make, (and I say that metaphorically now, because the music I encourage everyone to make in their lives doesn't have to be the audio version, it could painting, it could sports, or charity or whatever your heart desires, but when you make it. Make it honestly, make it passionately and do it because you love it)....k that was a tangent, so back to "as long as the music I make".... Means something to me, and when you hear or see it, it means something to you. That's all I need. So there it is. Music, the most devastating yet awe inspiring thing that ever happened to me (until I have my first child, or get married.....maybe) =) -Danny