DAVE TURNER
Role at ROC Star Academy:
Coach
Hometown:
Brighton, New York
Your musical focus/instruments you play:
Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Piano, Bass, Beatbox (loop pedals)
When did you start pursuing music?
I began singing in the church choir when I was four, started piano lessons when I was six, and guitar lessons when I was twelve, however I never took it seriously until I went to college. I spent my high school days focusing on playing sports, and often wonder what may have happened if I'd prioritized music and theater when I was younger instead of pursuing the admittedly silly aspiration of playing division 1 football or basketball. In my sophomore year at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I decided I would get my minor in music, and joined the jazz band. While in my junior year, I first got paid to play guitar at a one hour jazz gig backing up a senior singer. After that I began to consider music as a viable form of income and after I graduated, I moved into a van and played music on the streets of Waikiki. Within a year, I'd made connections and gotten myself regular weekly gigs at bars and restaurants in hotels located in Waikiki and began learning how to use loop pedals. I got an apartment and decided it was going to be my career. I didn't really start focusing on music until I was 22. It's never too late to start!
What is your musical education?
Received my minor in music from University of Hawaii at Manoa, and took private guitar lessons in high school. Otherwise, I'm entirely self taught.
What are your musical influences/favorite bands?
I grew up listening to a heap of 60's and 70's Rock N Roll, Folk, and Motown, but being a 90's baby, I also listened to plenty of 90's Alternative and Hip Hop. I wrote my senior thesis on George Martin and The Beatles. Probably the most boring answer out there but they have a pretty big influence on me. One of the turning points in my musical education and taste was when my father showed me The Last Waltz, the Martin Scorsese documentary on The Band's farewell concert. I dove deep into most of the artists that were featured in that concert. For years I have told people my favorite song of all time is “The Weight.” I'm not sure if that's true or not, but it's on my list. That being said, I also spent many years obsessing over Biggie, Tupac, Atmosphere, Eminem, and other hip hop artists of the 90's and early 2000's. I also think one of my favorite albums ever (possibly because it was one of my favorite CDs I had when I was young) was The Barenaked Ladies’ “Stunt.” I'm pretty all over the place. I could go on and on. Lastly I'll mention that after preparing for an Elton John/Billy Joel tribute show I played last year (`21) at the Blue Note Waikiki, I think Scenes From An Italian Restaurant actually IS my favorite song of all time, and both of those artists are among my top five favorites of all time.
What is your “deserted island” album?
Impossible question to answer, but I’ll cheat and say, in no particular order (assuming greatest hits albums are off the table): 1. Sgt Pepper, 2. Songs In The Key Of Life, 3. Turnstiles, 4. When Life Gives You Lemons, 5. The Last Waltz
What is your favorite venue or event that you’ve performed?
Very tough question. The Blue Note was pretty huge, in 2021 I played at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo for Wingfest and had my music pumped through the loudspeaker to 20,000 people (most of whom were outside and not paying attention). But I would have to pick Turtle Bay. Despite the crazy commute, I had a two year residency at Turtle Bay Resort on North Shore in Hawaii. It was a lot of work, but having the waves of North Shore break right behind me as the sun set, playing for an engaged group of tourists on vacation, was hard to beat.
What’s the craziest thing that ever happened to you on-stage?
Not on stage, but three hours before the biggest show of my career, the first Billy Joel tribute show at The Blue Note in 2018, my bands’ bassist decided to quit the band without telling anyone. He just didn’t show up. We went on at 6:30 and found out at 3:30 we didn't have a bassist. I called all the bassists in my phone, and nobody was available. I got in touch with a guitar player friend of mine (he had the day off and was coming to the late show at 9). He was on North Shore on the beach. I asked him if he was coming to the show. He said yes. I asked him if he wanted to play the show. He said “...what?” I explained the situation and asked him if he’d ever played bass. He said “no.” I said “great, catch a bus and come straight to The Blue Note.” He showed up in board shorts and no shirt and told the front desk he was with the band. They didn’t believe him and I had to go collect him. I gave him one of my suits and our bassists bass, and went over the 6 songs we absolutely needed a bassist on with him for the 20 minutes leading up to the show. We played our first set and crushed it. On our break, my drummer came to the green room to tell me that Tommy Emmanuel was in the audience, he was impressed, and wanted to meet me. I said I didn't have time because I needed to take the half hour between shows to review the mistakes with our interim bassist. I've always regretted not meeting Tommy Emmanuel, one of my guitar heroes. The show went better than any of us could have dreamed of and we were invited back. My drummer and I also neglected to record any of it because we were convinced it was going to be a disaster. Top three most stressful days of my life.
What’s the best piece of musical advice you’ve received in your career thus far?
I'm going to cheat again because I can't pick one:
1. If you want to be successful, you need to be ready to do the work other musicians don't want to do.
2. It should ALWAYS be about the audience. If we don't have an audience, we don't have a job, so check your ego at the door.
3. The secret to a happy life is to find something you enjoy working really hard at.
4. Position yourself where you want to be, not where you are
5. Never forget how lucky we are to get paid to play music for a living. Practice gratitude.
What is your favorite part of coaching at ROC Star Academy?
I rediscovered my love for teaching. Originally I was ambivalent about what I could bring to the table as an instructor, but realized I had something to offer, and also that I could learn a lot from my students. I look forward to my lessons every week, and enjoy watching my students progress from week to week. It's a constant reminder that one of the beautiful things about music and musicians, is that everyone is truly unique, and the more time we put into developing our craft, the more unique we become. The sky's the limit, and it's up to us to decide how successful and unique we want to be as musicians. Teaching students 10+ years younger than me is a reminder of the beauty of potential and the satisfaction that comes from hard work.