Artist: Good Rockin’ Dan
Genre: Blues
Artist Biography:
Good Rockin’ Dan hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He’s a rocker and a fighter; Dan’s been battling rheumatoid arthritis for the past 20 years with and without the help of traditional medical treatments. A true rock-n-roller, his sound is influenced by classic performers like Neil Young, Tom Petty, and George Thoroughgood. Dan wakes up every morning to pursue his passion and the source of his healing: his music. “Four years ago, I was under home care where I needed assistance to do everything. Everything. Bathing, walking, feeding myself. Now I’m working on producing my first EP while making the most of each day,” says Dan of his struggle. He runs a monthly singalong at the Maplestone Home, and also makes regular appearances at Freeman’s and The Buffalo Club. Dan’s far from ready to give up the good fight. If you’re looking for a rocker who’s been through the school of hard knocks, you’ll appreciate the sounds of Good Rockin’ Dan.
Status: Semi-Professional
Workin my way to becoming a professional full time musician .
What Music activities are you involved in? Recording artist, songwriter, composer, producer, engineer?
Recording artist, songwriter, self promoter producer engineer. I do mostly everything myself.
What aspect of what you do musically, do you find challenging?
The biggest challenge is the business aspect of taking care of my music career
How would you describe your music?
Named Good Rockin’ Dan
Where Rockin’ and Blues go hand-in-hand
Your feet will meet the dance floor
Come and get you won’t expect more
Who is your favourite artist?
AC/DC
What are you trying to say through your music?
Stay healthy and prosper
What artists do you sound closest too?
Muddy “mississippi” Waters
How did you become interested in music?
My mother played and i learned from her
What is another genre of music, different from the one you play, that you like?
Music is the healing power in my life
What drives you as a musician to keep making music?
Because I love it!
As a singer/instrumentalist how important is practice?
Practice is what makes it happy
What advice would you give to young musicians starting out?
Stay the course no matter what happens
Do you use social media to share your music with others?
Yes I use social media to connect with people
Do you write your own music?
Yes I write my own music
What makes music special for you?
Just to be grateful that I can do what I do
Did you ever take music lessons?
Yes I took and am still taking music lessons it is a lifelong process
Do you ever get burnt out working on music?
Yes it is easy to get burnt out. you have to listen to your body because your health is your most important asset
How do you deal with writers block when writing music?
Just keep writing even if it is not about music
Do you ever use mobile technology to help you record your ideas?
Yes I use garage band and a few other tech tools
My final thoughts to inspire young musicians:
make a choice as this is a lot of work and not for the weak of heart make sure your head heart and stomach is all in it together.
Good Rockin’ Dan,
Thank you on behalf of Listening Edge Records for taking time to share with us your thoughts on music, and helping inspire musicians of all ages.
Trevor Baron President Listening Edge Records