Today we’d like to introduce you to Dale New.
Hi Dale, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Like many people, music has always been my passion. I learned to play the guitar at a young age and piano quickly followed. When my family moved from the U.K to the U.S.A when I was 15, I quickly found a nack for musical theatre, chorus and a fairly successful band at the time. We had even played warped tour 2012! I made money at the time from working odd jobs until eventually that became the priority. School ended, the band split up and music took a back seat. I worked for years in different jobs; moving to NYC for a flight attendant job and staying and working in the city when I left the airline. I eventually moved back to Florida when I became homesick. Once there, I worked up from Host to Manager at a local Carrabbas, all the while my guitar gathered dust.
Once Covid hit, my restaurant shut down. Even when it opened back up, I was only making around $5 an hour. I was miserable. My only escape from my situation was when I started going to Open Mic nights. There, I met people from the community who did music as their full-time job. To say I was envious would be an understatement. I was a walking, talking cardinal sin. Wallowing in my job and envy, my wife encouraged me to take the steps to be a self-sufficient musician. In hers and many others words “music was what I was meant to be doing”, but I didn’t know where to start. After doing the research, learning enough songs, and investing enough money to get the equipment I need, we took the leap.
I started playing a few free gigs and was then offered a paid gig shortly after. It wasn’t much, but it was a paid gig. Then, the snowball effect happened and people started wanting to book me all the time. Slowly, I learned things that I would need to help market myself. I got business cards and updated my social media. My wife, now my mutually decided manager, contacted bars, restaurants and any live music venues. It took really just off. I now play music 5-7 days a week sometimes over ten gigs in a week at some of the biggest live music venues in town like Tin Roof, Planet Hollywood, Boxi Park, etc. We just celebrated my 200th gig and I was able to not only make our invested money back but also purchased a brand new guitar. My first guitar was a gift, so that was very gratifying and conducive of my hard work. Furthermore, with encouragement my best friend started music full time also. Helping him with minor details to get his foot out the door made him able to also take the town by storm. We are able to play as a successful duo, called “BLEWAYLE” playing music, having fun, supporting our family and pinching ourselves that this is even real life.
I would fully encourage anyone to take that leap with anything you’re second-guessing. Something you’re scared about, a life change, a hard decision, etc. I wish I could go back and look at my younger self and just yell at myself, à la Shia LaBeouf, “JUST DO IT”.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a looper musician. Similar to Ed Sheeran in Live style by making guitar loops and singing over them. I add a beat by beatboxing and piano via a small keyboard infront of me, as well as other instruments. I can add bass guitar with a special guitar pedal and even have multiple harmonies with a separate pedal too. Some songs can have up to 6 instruments playing at one time. A mix of one guy and a guitar playing acoustic and a whole band kind of vibe coming from one person. I love playing my originals for people but more than anything, I like making the crowd dance!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
My social media is the easiest way to support me! Following and even coming out to any upcoming gigs.
You can find me on the major social media platforms under @DaleNewMusic
Additionally, my Duo with Marcus Peeler is a large part of my music life. Follow that on the same platforms @BLEWAYLE
Any support is encouraged and appreciated!
Contact Info:
- Email: DaleNewMusic@yahoo.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/DaleNewMusic
- Facebook: Facebook.com/DaleNewMusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ccggagg
Image Credits:
@LorenaMontenegroPhoto www.lorenamphotography.com
