Seeking some good vibes in this life? Often, music is what we need. Whether we consider ourselves to be music aficionados or are just simply inspired by what we hear, we can all agree that music is powerful and brings us joy.
I recognized good vibes right away in the music of Dany Horovitz. Dany is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter who puts a modern spin on the classic rock n’ roll sound and gives it his own unique style. And when we had a chat recently about all things music, those good vibes continued. He's chill and friendly, honest and humble, and inspired by the world around him. His songs are stories of love, loss, and life experiences, and he also finds inspiration from ancient poets and modern philosophers.
His first single, Moving On, from his upcoming album, Free Times, was released a few weeks ago on Spotify The song is about moving on from heartbreak and the hopeful excitement that it brings, which we've all experienced in some way. Dany has also shared clips of a few of his other songs from his album on Instagram and YouTube. His knack for storytelling is compelling and poetic, both lyrically and musically, and the simplicity of his catchy melodies helps listeners to focus on that storytelling. He's excited about getting his music out there to more ears!
Our conversation included some of his favorite music influences, from the Beatles to Billy Joel to Leonard Cohen! You can listen to the audio recording here. We also discussed the story depth, relevance, and joy that music brings, so I've included some of Dany's insights and wisdoms below:
What does joy mean to you and how does music bring you joy?
Music brings me joy because it speaks to my full body and my full attention. It puts me in an almost meditative state. I love hearing the sounds. I love making the sounds. I love the energy it gives off and the energy you can receive from it. I'm not Buddhist or "Zen," or anything like that but life is mostly about attention and imagination and it seems to me that joy comes from having the ebbs and flows of both of those, and music kind of keeps your attention and activates your imagination.
How does your songwriting shape your worldview and your philosophies?
I love stories and I love storytelling, and when I think about a song, I think about it holistically, I think about what the ending is going to be, what the beginning is going to be, if there's going to be a hook, or if there's not going to be a hook...what the bridge is. What's the story? In three minutes, how much of a picture can I paint or not paint and leave to the imagination?
So how does it inform my worldview? All of our lives are also stories...our attention and imagination. We are constantly feeding ourselves a story of ourselves. If you have a bad image of yourself, a bad impression of yourself, it is a story you're repeating in your head. If you have a positive outlook, it's one that you're gonna be repeating. I say that it influenced my outlook on an unconscious level to constantly examine my life and how I view myself, and to a certain extent, how I view the people around me, and hopefully, on an unconscious level, I've gained more empathy as a result.
Why do you feel music is so important, relevant, and inspiring? Why do we need music?
You only get five senses...you only get five ways to interact with the external world...and one of those is hearing. Twenty percent of your life are the sounds that you hear. Music is important because it's emotions and it's stories through one of your senses, and unlike sight and unlike feeling, when it comes to you, you cannot ignore...it goes right into your ears and your brain and your soul. And you can cover your ears, but it's too late...you've already heard it! Somebody could be playing music all the way out there without intention, and it gets into your soul, and it's so important because it's all around you and it's a part of life.
You can listen to Dany’s new single, Moving On, on Spotify and follow him there.
His full album, Free Times, will be released on Bandcamp and will stream live on April 8, 2022!
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