Today we’d like to introduce you to Gerald Law II.
Gerald, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story begins as a toddler beating on pots, pans and lamp shades at home. My parents noticed that what I was doing was more than just a child “making noise” and “tearing stuff up” in the house. They helped nurture my musical interests by putting me in an environment that was strongly rooted in the arts. At age 17, the reality that I could pursue music as a career set in… and that was all I needed!
College was heavily suggested growing up, so I looked into how I could go to school and focus on becoming a better drummer. Jazz studies was my only ticket, but I had never played jazz in my life. I took three lessons from a local drummer who taught me three jazz standards (I’ve learned so many over the years, but I distinctly remember “Take the A-Train” by Billy Strayhorn being one of them). Were three lessons enough? Absolutely not lol, but purpose works out in strange ways. My soon-to-be professor, Leon Anderson (Florida State University), loved the challenge of bringing “church drummers” into the jazz program because he knew how to reach us; how to introduce the jazz language to us; how to shape what we learned naturally and infuse it with this rich vocabulary of some of the greatest drummers in our history.
Now in my sixth year of being a full-time musician, the stories of those who came before me continue to fuel my passion to create. I’ve released original music, played on other artists’ records, taught a number of students and truly embraced who I am as an artist and creative. The most fun project recently has been creating theme music for projects by some great friends of mine. I’m excited to continue along this path and see where it grows!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The path has not been smooth at all. Crazy enough, I can say that I’ve been the cause of quite a bit of my obstacles. Self-doubt has been my biggest stumbling block. If asked this question some years back, my answer would have definitely been different. But I’ve realized that I was derailed for a long period of time because I was trying to decide what the world around would think of what I was doing. Can I really play? Is the way I write music weird? What will the “jazz police” think? It seems like “they” are more drawn to this style, this fad. Should I switch what I’m doing? Add all of these thoughts in with a lack of focus on strengthening my craft and it all equals up to stagnation.
Other roadblocks have definitely come into play. The music industry naturally comes with politics, favoritism, deceit and plenty more. But at some point, I decided that I needed to own up to what I could control and direct my attention to making changes in those areas. Of course, this all happens while trying to make a living and stay afloat. But living is about learning to balance it all (the good, the bad, the certain, the unknown). I’ve shifted my focus to really deciding who I am as an artist and what that sounds/looks like.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
Gerald Law Music (GLM) is about the freedom of expression. It started as just an outlet for me to handle business as a drummer, but as I’ve continued to evaluate who I want to be as a creative, the mission has grown. GLM thrives off of the concepts that music heals and education empowers. I help artists bring their musical visions to life through recording sessions (live drums, drum programming), arrangements, original compositions and music production and direction. It takes a team to push missions forward and GLM loves being an integral part of that process. Through education, my business offers private instruction, as well as consultations to arts programs, middle schools and high schools in the surrounding areas.
I am most proud of the impact music education has on our youth. I can honestly say that music changed my life and it means the world to see the lightbulb go off in a student’s head when they can relate to a concept we’re discussing. Some of the former high school students are now in college pursuing music and it is inspiring to see their dedication.
What I believe sets GLM apart is the merging of music and education. While the concept of music education is far from an original idea, my dual focus is putting out meaningful music that I love while promoting a message to the following generation that their voice is needed. The greatest musical minds were met with opposition — that shouldn’t be a deterrent from being yourself. Study the masters, soak in the knowledge and inject it into your artistry.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood is playing with my dad. Talk about someone who never stopped working. My dad worked at a plant called Tropicana for much of my younger years while also starting his commercial cleaning business. He worked all night at the plant and would get home after sunrise to catch a nap before going out to work for his current clients or pursue new clients. In all of his clear exhaustion, he never hesitated to stay outside to teach my brothers (two, younger) and I how to ride bikes, or play catch, or shoot hoops, or anything else we were getting into as kids. As important as providing for the family was to him financially, he never forgot what really matters to kids… time.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.geraldlawmusic.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geraldlawmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geraldlawmusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0gP7QQ4GRHJiDhXTHjGWqr
Image Credit:
Billy Wright, Dayve Stewart, Yohanna Law
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