So I decided that on top of being a touring musician,a songwriter, a music teacher, a motivational speaker, and an author, that I’m a philanthropist. All of the other stuff falls under that category. I’m a philanthropist. Don’t you forget it.
I’m doing the band thing full time. But since last fall I’ve been taking online college classes. I really like them because they make me feel like I’m being productive even when there are problems with the band. I realized that I really like to learn. Sure it’s boring, but I find a lot of my classes really interesting and really good to absorb. I loved my communications class. It taught me stuff I should have learned ten years ago. Like the fact that communicating to someone is about what they hear, rather than what you say (think about it).
Anyway… The point is: Throughout my life, I never want to stop learning. Not just from a book, but from people, experiences, and life in general. Intelligence is the capacity of an individual to understand the world and the resourcefulness to cope with its challenges. That doesn’t mean passing any tests. It means having the wisdom to deal with people and challenges. I want to be happy. To do that, I need to know how to manipulate my world to fulfill my wants, needs, and desires. And to be more intelligent, I need to LEARN.
Hey. I really appreciate all of the comments you guys left me yesterday. I didn’t realize that you guys really like what I say and take it to heart. I mean I hoped it did, but now I know for sure.
I’m starting to realize people matter a lot in life. Without people, what are we living for? The more friends you have, the better of you are. Period. If you are going through life acting like a jerk, screwing people over, causing people to hate you, then what are you living for?
I decided I’m going to make a lot of friends in life. Remember that movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life”? That lead guy was the man. He had all the friends and family in the world to support him. That rich guy had money. Great. Money sucks when you have no one to share it with. Fame sucks when you have no one to share it with. All the success in the world means nothing when you don’t have people to share it with. So make more friends and be happier with the friends you have. We will do it together, friend.
Hey guys
I know I said I’d write on this daily but a few things have held me back and I want to overcome them. They have all been internal. And I know to overcome problems, you have to admit them to yourself and others. So here is the stuff that is holding me back:
1. I feel like I don’t have enough interesting/entertaining things to say everyday. I feel people will get bored of me and say, “I used to love reading what Dave wrote, but now it’s kind of boring and pointless.”
2. I feel like I’m too competitive with other bands. I look at John Mayer and Pete Wentz and Martin Johnson and Alex Gaskarth and others and say to myself, “Hundreds of thousands of people are listening to those guys, and ten people are listening to me.” It depresses me. I love thinking that I am helping people and affecting people, but it’s hard when I compare myself to others who are doing a much better job at getting their messages out to the masses. It makes me feel like I’m not good enough.
3. I feel like I never have enough time in my day to get everything I want accomplished. Wake up, workout, check emails, tweet, do college work, do band work, eat lunch, cash a check, give a music lesson, tweet, blog, check facebook, work on street team, check myspace, work on new designs and fliers, book better shows, comment to fans, eat dinner, read, talk to family, hang out with friends, watch a movie, play a show, drive the van…. sleep. It’s a lot to take care of.
4. Sometimes a just forget.
I’m going to work on getting better at these things. Be more confident in my writing, be less competitive with others in my field, make a scheduled time for myself, and remind myself every day. Whoever is reading this stuff, try to reply more because it is uplifting to know that people are listening. I really appreciate your help and support. I want to be better for you.
What is your favorite flavor JELL-O?
The original red stuff
I’ve heard that you’re straight edge. What made you choose this lifestyle?
I just realized at a young age that it makes life easier. I don’t think of myself as “straight edge”. I just try to live life free of addictions, free of uncontrollable problems, free of people and things that I can’t trust, and free of stuff that I see could lead to negative consequences. Makes sense, doesn’t it?!
How long do you see yourself staying involved in the music industry? When you’re middle-aged will you still want to tour? Will you produce or manage? Or will you get a “normal” job?
No matter what I do for a living, I doubt I will ever have a “normal” job. I see myself in music as long as it can fulfill my basic necessities to happy life. If I’m 30 years old with 2 kids and I’m still playing tiny shows, I won’t be able to afford be a full-time musician. No matter what I do for a job, I know that I am going to be working for myself and I know that I will be working to affect, inspire, motivate, and change people. The music business is just my vessel to be able to do those things. If I still do it through music at 50 years old, great. If I don’t, that’s OK too.
I know your favorite bands are Blink-182 and Switchfoot. What other genres do you listen to? What music inspires you?
I like a little bit of everything if it’s good enough. I dig Lady Gaga, Eminem, Taylor Swift, Kanye, MGMT, and a lot of other different types of music. The bands that I like most, of course, are the pop-rock bands. I love Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday, Jack’s Mannequin, Dashboard, The Used, Hillsong, Brand New, The Maine, The Fray, and all of that good stuff. That kind of music generally inspires me the most.
PCFH hasn’t been touring very far beyond the east coast lately. Will that change soon?
We are planning on touring down to Texas for South By Southwest next month. The whole music industry sort of slows down in the winter months, so we haven’t been touring much since Thanksgiving. That will change once Spring comes. I promise.
I like you. Can we be friends? :)
Yes. Friends are my only real asset in this world. Without people, I’d be nothing.
Warped tour this year? Even just promoting? I’d love to see you back in Texas!
This depends on our situation. We might be playing acoustic this year at Warped under a tent. If not, we will try to get an opening spot on a solid tour. If that doesn’t work either than we will definitely be promoting at Warped. Whatever we do, we will no doubt be touring the country this summer
I saw that you’ve written some about your faith, I think that so cool that you are pretty open about it. Would you share you testimony? I’d LOVE to hear all about it (:
Growing up, I didn’t really understand what Christianity is. In junior high and high school, I finally got a grip on it and it really changed my life. It gave me a purpose in this world and gave me hope more than anything else in my life could. I believe in God, I believe in Jesus. I know that that is weird to some people so I try not to push people away. I don’t want them to deem me “Christian” and then not think of me the same way. Instead, I love talking to people about universal virtues that everyone could accept. To be a successful person, to be a happy person, to overcome struggles, to give abundantly, to feel confident that there is more than yourself guiding your life, to know that you have a purpose, to stay away from greed and addictions, to be humble, to be appreciative for everything you have, to love even when you don’t feel loved, and to have hope. All this comes easier when you can believe in more than just yourself.
Who is your biggest inspiration to you, not just in music, but in life in general?
That’s hard to say. I try to feel inspired a little bit from everyone. Fans, family, acquaintances, students, friends, loved ones… I can’t pinpoint one or two right now that have inspired me the most.
Will you be playing in New Hampshire anytime time soon?
Yes. We are playing a private party in Salem on March 6th. Crash it.
What do you look for in a girl?
I definitely am attracted to the bad girl type. However, I know I could never really logically date that kind of girl because it’s not who I am. So, I need to find a bad-good girl who I could see marrying. A girl that isn’t sheltered, a girl that isn’t incompetent, a girl that’s real (I mean REAL, not fake). Someone who is truthful and reliable. Someone that would like me whether I’m playing music in front of thousands or crunch numbers alone with glasses on and a calculator (cause I love crunching numbers). I need someone who like’s me for me… NOT BECAUSE… I forget the rest.
Will i see you at Monadnock Bible Confrence in July? (i hope so! :D)
I’m not sure. It depends on my schedule. If I can make it then I definitely will be there.
With no church or bible study to go to, how do you keep your faith strong on the road? how do you stay up?
It’s hard to be disciplined on the road with no “home”. But I’ve learned that my faith grows through talking with people at shows. I definitely get down on myself in the van sometimes, but I try to keep a routine, to keep happy, keep studying, keep in shape, and I constantly remind myself that I am living and playing music for a purpose bigger than myself.
Did you celebrate halloween as a kid? If so what was your best costume ever?
Yes. My brother got me a Cartman costume when I was like 10. That was kind of crazy.
Besides your dad, you don’t talk about your family much. Do you have siblings? Cousins? Grandparents?
I have a dad and a mom. They used to have dads and moms. But the only grandparent I have left is my grandmother on my dad’s side (a few of you guys have met her before at a show in Poughkeepsie). I have an older half brother and half sister. They are both cool, chill people. When I’m not on tour, I live with a family back at home that I consider my family, even though I’m not related to them by blood. Confusing I know, but it’s my life.
Thanks for all of your questions. If you liked doing this we will do it again sometime. I really want you guys to get to know me. I don’t want to hide anything from you or feel like I’m some unattainable figure. I’m just me and your you. Nothing more, nothing less. Got it? Good.
Hey
I want you guys to comment on this post with some questions you have for me. Anything you want to ask. ANYTHING. I want to answer you guys and make sure you know that I’m listening. I read all of your comments and you guys really motivate me. You help me out more than you know. Make me happier, make me inspired, make me productive, and just make me BETTER. So I wanted to say that I really appreciate your input and your love. Shoot me some questions!
Unlike most people, I like being hungry. When I’m home, I get to eat all I want. When I’m on tour, I’ll only eat once or twice a day.
BEING HUNGRY MAKES FOOD TASTE BETTER. I really like thinking that way because it works for every asset of life. When your hungry, when your stressed, when your overworked, when your depressed… it makes the better part of life SO much better. Contrast is everything. The shadow proves the sunshine. I don’t mind pain if there is nothing I can do to stop it, I just accept it and learn to be optimistic about it. No one wants to be hungry, but when you are, being hungry makes food taste better. Think about it.
For all of you who didn’t know, I have two cats and a dog. The dog is named Bailey. She is a black lab. She likes to wrestle, lay by the fire with me, and eat the food that is left on my plate. If you ever see a scratch on my arms you can assume her because her and I love to wrestle. One of the cats is named Trooper. He is pretty dull in the head. I think he hit his head too hard on something once. The other cat is named Bear. He’s pretty cool. I don’t usually like cats, but I don’t mind him. He’s all gray and he’s pretty thin. He’s got a cool looking face. However, I like his eyes better when the pupils are circular rather than slivers. The sliver thing freaks me out. ANIMALS.
I had a dream last night that I murdered people out of sheer pleasure. It was really creepy. I was at a high school and just started fighting people one at a time and breaking their limbs. I’d literally beat people to death and leave them in a corner. Then the cops were called so I ran back to my car and drove away. Can anyone interpret that?
The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire!
Pretty lights
Professionals
Don't just stand around... DO SOMETHING!
Hey everyone
Sorry I haven’t been on here for a few days. To catch up, I just finished a couple really fast-paced college courses and yesterday my garage almost burned down. Here are some pictures. No one was hurt, but there is about $40,000 worth of damages. Nothing that can’t be replaced though.
