Daily Inspiration: Meet David Galvan

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Galvan

Hi David, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a pianist, music producer, songwriter, and artist based in Southern California. With 25 years of piano experience, I began playing at the age of five, and my passion for music has been a constant driving force throughout my life. Growing up, I would eagerly seek out sheet music for various genres—ranging from video game scores to pop hits—and spend hours learning them for fun. I then shared my piano covers on YouTube, with my most popular video reaching over 101K views.

Music runs deeply in my family; my mother is a singer, and many of her siblings also sing. My father was a musician as well, and I was often encouraged to bring my piano books to family gatherings, just in case there was an opportunity to perform. I regularly participated in annual piano competitions through the Accordion Federation of North America, winning First Prize in my categories each year. It wasn’t until these accomplishments that my parents realized I should pursue music professionally. Their constant encouragement to practice daily played a crucial role in shaping my path, and I’m immensely grateful for their support.

Today, I now hold a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of accompanying multiple choirs at various schools and churches. I have also played for auditions and in the orchestra pit for numerous musical theater productions.

I also now serve as the collaborative pianist for the theatre program at Riverside City College and am an audition accompanist for Disney, I continue to foster my passion for both performance and collaboration whether it’s playing for productions or working in the music studio.

As a music producer and artist, my projects have accumulated over 2.6 million streams across various platforms. I also continue to share covers online, with over 1 million views across YouTube and TikTok. Currently, I’m releasing a new single and music video each month on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, with plans to compile them into a full-length LP by the end of the year.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There has definitely been a fair amount of struggles. I was a premature baby born at six months. I only weighed 1 lb. and 18 oz. My parents didn’t think that I was going to make it, and they said I had to stay in the NICU for three months with a respiratory system hooked to my body. When I got home, they said a therapist would always come to make sure that I was developing well. My mom said I would never talk; if the therapist would ask me something like “Where’s the square?” I would just point to it but not say a word.

As a kid, when I would always have to practice piano, there were definitely times where I wanted to quit lessons because I would be stressed out from practicing for a competition or I just wanted to go out and play with other kids or play video games. There was even a time where I was taking piano lessons from 2 separate teachers in one day. I know that if I quit lessons as a kid and gave up then, I would never have accomplished all the things I have done today.

When it came to decide what I wanted to do after I graduated high school, I actually doubted if I wanted to do music as my career. I knew that it was a risky move and especially as a Filipino-American, a lot of Filipinos end up being nurses, engineers, or anything that’s not in the arts. I was scared at the time, so I tried to major in Accounting because my sister told me that it was stable. After about a year of taking business classes, I realized that it wasn’t for me. I switched to music and made one of the best decisions of my life.

I think that as a Filipino-American, it was also scary to pursue music as a career because you don’t see many Asian-Americans in the music industry nor support for Asian-Americans in the arts. It’s also why I always try to support all of my other friends pursuing the arts in whatever shows they are in or what they hold because I know what it’s like to prepare for a show and not have as much support as you wish you had. Growing up, I was able to see some of my musical inspirations that looked like me on YouTube doing the same thing that I was trying to do – artists like AJ Rafael, Jeremy Passion, and Gabe Bondoc. It was so inspiring to see other Filipino-Americans who were also playing the piano and composing songs that it pushed me to know that I could also be successful in music. Now I hope, one day, to also be a leader in the arts representing Filipino-Americans.

Seeing where I am now, I know God gave me the chance to live; I know that I have a purpose, and that it is music.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am currently rebranding as David Galvan. I used to go by GALVN but I honestly didn’t want to have an artist name. I just wanted people to know me as myself.

I am a music producer, artist and songwriter. I love to collaborate all the time. I love writing music with others and playing in bands. I perform with my friend Monica Parales Balan and our band every month at Rodeo39 in Stanton.

I play a lot of musical theater and help clients prepare for auditions by helping them record piano tracks / plunk out their music or even going through their songbooks for auditions.

What sets me apart from others is I am very versatile in multiple genres of music. I can go from classical music to R&B to jazz to musical theater. I love it all and don’t like to sit in a bubble. That’s what others can find when listening to my music as well. One day I can put out a R&B tune and the next it’ll be electronic or indie, you’ll never know.

I am currently working on releasing a new single and music video every month that you can find on Spotify, Apple Music, and even DavidGalvanVEVO on YouTube. I released 2 singles at the beginning of the year called “change (you)” and “we could be” which you can find online. I still also post all of my covers and original content across my YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

I think that it is important to follow your passion and follow your dreams because you only have one life to live so it’s best to do what will make you happy in the end. I am glad that I am able to pursue my passion in music and share my talents with the world.

Pricing:

• Event Pianist (Weddings, Private Events, etc) – Starting at $1000 (plus travel and equipment fee)
• Custom Piano Tracks – starting at $300
• Music Producer – starting at $750 (based on project)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.davidsgalvan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidsgalvan
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/davidgalvanmusic
• Other: https://www.davidsgalvan.com/links

Image Credits
Erwin Encarnacion