David Arn is a U.S. singer-songwriter based in Virginia, who is best
known for his lyrical style. He currently has three albums, “Postmodern Days” , “Walking in Dreamland” “Traveller Tales” and numerous singles.
Three of his music videos have been Film Festival award winners. His
music is streamed worldwide and has been featured on NPR stations, BBC Radio, and can be heard on Delta Airlines commercial flights.
http://www.davidarn.com/
What first got you into music?
My grandfather played piano professionally. There was always a piano in our house and lessons seemed mandatory. I played classical music until around the age of twelve when I discovered rock and roll. Then I formed a band with friends.
Who inspired you to make music? .
I think I get a little bit from every artist I listen to. You listen and a flake of the song falls into a crevice of your imagination. I admire artists like Taylor Swift, Elliot Smith, Tom Petty. I think I am most inspired by Dylan and Leonard Cohen.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I am strongly influenced by artists whose music has a strong lyrical quality. People like Cohen, Dylan, John Prine. At heart I am a story teller. For instance, “Traveler Tales” is fourteen songs, fourteen travelers on a common journey, each relating their situation through song. You have the Mother’s Tale, The Veteran’s Tale, The Sinner’s Tale, etc. It is a concept loosely based on Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” where each pilgrim tells their story. I enjoyed having the freedom to create songs in various styles–rock, acoustic folk. folk rock, simple ballads.
What is your creative process like?
Inspiration is a place I go to and once I get there and then leave I have difficulty finding my way back again. That is to say, I have no idea where it comes from or why certain ideas engage my imagination. Sometimes I come across a great piece of writing or hear a phenomenal song and it makes me want to drop everything and sit down at the piano.
I usually begin with lyrics. I want the words to be as tight and impactful as possible. I want to know exactly what the song is about. Then I sit down at the piano and work toward the right feel for the lyrics.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Willie Nelson. He”s written so many great songs. I’d like to get a sense of his inner process, his essence, so I can learn from it.
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
Someone like James Taylor. Even though our music is different I feel our audience is similar. It would have to be a singer/songwriter type.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
I would like fans to know that after they have listened to a song and shared a comment on social media, they have no idea how that sustains my energy and guides me toward new projects. I am always thankful.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
My warmup song is Bob Dylan’s “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry”.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
Most likely I would be teaching. I come from a family of teachers. It seems to run in our DNA.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
I feel very fortunate to live during this exciting time when anyone can create, produce, market their music to the entire world from their own comfortable space.
In the same breath you have to acknowledge that the music business is at a dangerous stage. It seems broken. Creators are getting a raw deal.
What is your favorite song to perform?
“Not Amused-The Wanderer’s Tale”. The song has a groove that makes you tap your foot and I get to play rock riffs on the piano.
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
This is the one I can talk about. I went to a Catholic High School in NJ. I had been sick for a few days and my mother wrote a note explaining why I had missed school. She did not date the note, So rather than getting on the school bus, I got on the city bus which carried you directly into Times Square. In my mind I had planned to take the return bus that arrived at just about the same time as the school bus. I missed the city bus and arrived home late. I was walking toward the house and my sister came running down the street “Are you all right? The police are searching for you’. It turns out when I did not show up at school my best friend called the house wanting to know where I was. The next morning my father drove me to school and into the principal’s office. He told the principal to do whatever he wanted. I had detention for over two months and felt lucky not to have been suspended.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Once while seated on a bench at a mall an old man came up to me and said, “You can lose all of your money but if you lose your courage you lose everything”. He then walked away. It seemed comically-timed for my life at the moment but the strange wisdom of that scene frequently replays in my mind. I wish someone had told me more emphatically that very often you only need to sit back and the solution may walk up to you.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
If I could change one thing it would be to rewind the clock and urge major labels and programmers to rethink and develop an encoding to prevent the pirating and unlawful sharing of music and books. In this way artists and writers could better control their intellectual property.
What’s next for you?
I am currently working on a project with the working title of “Alone in Seven Pieces”. It is an intimate acoustic project reflecting this upside down time. I have paired with Brooklyn filmmaker, William Murray, who is creating visual vignettes to accompany the songs. He and I have worked together before and two of our collaborations have won film festival awards. One of the new songs and videos is a Finalist in the New York Movie Awards for best music video. The song and video will be released at a later date.
How important is the current COVID crisis to you and how do you think
you could help?
It’s devastating to performers at this time. Performance pays the bills. We all can help by doing songs with uplifting messages. We can set the right example based upon guidance from legitimate experts so we can move past this and get back to live music.