Dan Goldman-Traveling Musician From Toronto, Canada

by: Norm Goldman

Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is delighted to have as our guest, Dan Goldman, Guitarist, Song Writer, Poet, Arranger and a musician of many other talents. Dan is here to discuss his world of music and travels. Norm: When did your passion for music begin? What keeps you going? Dan: I can't quite remember when my passion began. It seems to have been an inborn appreciation. My earliest memories are of listening to old records and 8-track recordings that my parents had kicking around the house - anything from Kenny Rogers to Neil Diamond sparked my interest at the time. My father played piano, and I always loved listening to his romantic, albeit, slightly schmaltzy touch. I'd press my ear against the soundboard to get the most out of the vibrations. Norm: Who were the musicians that influenced you? Dan: There are too many to mention; but if I had to narrow it down, I'd say, in order of appearance: The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, my uncle Issac, Classical guitar repertoire including Bach and most of the Spanish composers, Joni Mitchell, Jim Hall, Bill Frisell and on and on.I'm currently into Wilco, Joanna Newsom, Lisa Germano, to name a few. Norm: When on tour, do you notice any differences in audiences from one city to the next, and if so, would you say that this may due to their geographical location. For example, how would you compare audiences in Vancouver to those in Toronto or Montreal insofar as your music is concerned? Dan: Yes, I'd say the main difference lies in how saturated the market is. In Calgary, for instance, where there isn't as much traffic in terms of touring bands, I tend to get a warmer and more appreciative reception than in Toronto, where, although I play plenty of great gigs, the audiences are somewhat numbed by the sheer volume of musicians around. Then again, performances are always different and anything I think is the rule is always put into question as soon as I play an unexpectedly great gig in the least likely situation. Norm: What challenges or obstacles do you encounter while traveling and performing? How did you overcome these challenges? Dan: I get nervous a lot. I'm fine when I'm actually performing, but I generally get stressed a couple of hours before the show. It's really important for me to eat and rest appropriately so that the stress doesn't take a toll on my performances. I generally try to put aside a certain amount of time every day that I'm on tour to warming up or to my sitting (meditation) practice. Norm: Which is your favorite city to perform in? Why? Dan: I can't say that I have one. Anywhere where the people are receptive and supportive becomes the best city. Norm How do you get the inspiration for your song and music writing? Dan: I love music. It's not hard to get inspired, what's hard is