Meet Cliff Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cliff Beach.

Cliff, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Funk music artist Cliff Beach has been performing live for more than 15 years in Los Angeles. The Berklee-trained singer/songwriter/keyboardist and DC native has created a style of music he coins as “Nu-funk,” a hybrid of soul, traditional R&B, funk and neo-soul which he performs regularly throughout Southern California. In 2013, Cliff released the highly anticipated “Who the Funk is Cliff Beach?” EP, independently, which was nominated for three LA Music Awards including “Record of the Year” and one Hollywood Music in Media award. Cliff also received national press in a featured live review in Music Connection Magazine in Nov. 2013 and was a featured performer at TEDx Napa Valley on March 2014. Cliff’s last album entitled “The Gospel According to Cliff Beach,” which was nominated for an Independent Music Award (Funk/Fusion Jam Album); winner of 2 Global Music Awards. Cliff is a voting Member of NARAS, a Songwriter and Publisher with BMI and an award-winning member of Toastmasters International. Booking by Definitive Talents worldwide. Distribution by California Soul Music. Endorsed by TC Helicon and Nord Keyboards.

I started singing and playing in church when I was a kid. My mom started me in piano lessons at age 5 or 6. I hated playing the piano and practicing, but it started to come together in high school. I participated in several choirs and decided to pursue music by getting my degree at Berklee College of Music, where I studied Voice and Music Business from 16-19. I moved shortly after graduation to LA, started my first band The Moon Crickets from 2003-2007, did two tours for Holland America Cruise Line as an entertainer, gained my MBA at Pepperdine and started focusing on my solo project in 2010 for the last nine years.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road. I have had many false starts. I was cut during auditions for several reality TV shows. My first band disbanded in 2007 after four years and two albums, and I took a break from music to regroup. I had a bass player friend named Sean, who encouraged me to put a new band together and start playing out again. I have wanted to quit music several times, but I recall my Dad saying, “Once you quit, that is when the next guy surpasses you.” So I’ve kept going, and learned a lot in the process. It is a marathon, not a sprint, and I am enjoying the moments, not just the outcomes. Doing everything on my own is a challenge. It really takes a team to get anything done.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Cliff Beach story. Tell us more about your work.
I am a semi-pro musician. I work full time and then work on music in all my available free time. I started as just a singer and a keyboard player, but have become a band manager/leader, artist, arranger, top liner, producer, executive producer, filmmaker, songwriter, publisher, record label executive and many more hats in the process.

For the record Label, I am most proud of releasing acts other than myself including Brian Sturges and his award-winning Wall Of Flesh- A Vintage Comedy- The Soundtrack and new collaborations with The MBs and Alex Nester. We also joined the RIAA in 2018.

In terms of my music, I am most proud of the award nominations and wins, including Best Music Video for Delilah and The Divulge Dancers Film Fest in Hollywood, and 3 Global Music Awards. We have been featured on CNN, Fox, and BET and performed at NAMM with Dynaudio this past year. Our latest single “Confident” is on the All Funked Up Playlist on Spotify with over 100k streams and counting.

I think the major thing that sets me apart from others is my drive. I am constantly pushing myself to network with new people and provide more opportunities for myself and others. I do not rest. I am always thinking, plotting, my next move. I can have true grit; I keep going even when it is not easy, when there is no end in sight, I just push through the difficulty, and I am not afraid to reach out to anyone who I think can help.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think there is such a thing as luck, but it can only open a door, it can not push you through it or keep you on the other side. For that, I think it is hard work, tenacity, and perseverance that really moves the needle. I would not say I ever had bad luck, but I do regret not taking some opportunities based on resources available at the time. I realize now that there are problems and solutions. So I started saying yes to more things I would have said no to in the past, but I don’t really regret not doing some things because I learned now to be more open and solution-oriented in the present and future. Everything is a lesson.

Contact Info:

• Website: cliffbeachmusic.com
• Phone: 818-975-0813
• Email: cliffbeachmusic@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/cliffbeachmusic
• Facebook: facebook.com/cliffbeachmusic
• Twitter: twitter.com/cliffbeachmusic
• Other: youtube.com/user/cliffbeachmusic

Image Credit:
Sheldon Botler, Hoai Doan, Ron Cabildo, Gabe Rosenn

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