Today we’d like to introduce you to Danny Scheer
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Thank you so much for inviting me to this interview, Sarah! I’m not going to bore you with the
textbook version you find when you search up my old resume: the odd kid out slips mom’s
MacBook to make music on GarageBand, learns to record a couple of instruments, graduates from
Berklee top of his class as the youngest master alumnus to date, makes music in his bedroom and
before he knows it… bla bla bla.
Did you know I almost ended up doing something completely different? After A-levels, which I
took with a particular focus on music, of course, I wasn’t sure what was the right way forward. I
remember vividly thinking that while music is my biggest passion, it is hardly a “solid” job. If I
went for a creative life, I might get lucky enough to have the privilege of doing what I love most for
a living, but I was likely to end up living in my brother’s garage with a broken heart. If I just
studied something scientific, I would have a secure path and a paved way that I would trot along
with a broken heart but likely end up content and wealthy. I was facing the pitchfork between
knowing exactly what I was getting myself into for the next two or three decades or having no clue
what I would be doing the day after they handed me that piece of paper and we all threw our hats.
My parents took that choice from me in the best way possible. Sending me all the way to London, I
had every chance and opportunity to chase my dreams. And so I did! Years later, I look back and
wonder how I could have ever doubted that there was a spot for me in the music-making
community. Don’t get me wrong – my doubt seemed reasonable at the time, but I would have never
forgiven myself if I had not tried. Because at some point along the way, they did give me that paper,
and we did throw our hats. And the next morning, I was still making music. And the week after. And
the month after. I went from living room to living room to write, record, produce and mix music for
and with my friends. Then from studio to studio to make music with friends of my friends and their
friends. And before I knew it, I was working with my childhood heroes, from mixing Run-DMC
and Queen’s Richard Taylor to hanging out with Broadway’s superstars after a long day of work.
So when I think back to that pitchfork road… so far, so good.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth like butter, Sarah. Like a criminal undercover. Seriously. Not a single bump in the road. Of
course, there are always setbacks, deals that didn’t go through, and quests that didn’t pan out. So
what? I say bring it on. While the route might change, the destination remains the same. And the
best part of the creative life is that there’s no ETA anyway. “Career” is just a fancy word for
“journey.” Every twist and turn is part of the process. When plans work out, great. When they
don’t… “Advance to the nearest railroad. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.” Get it? We played
Monopoly last night…
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a creative technologist, meaning I use technology to create. If you check out my website, you’ll find a sophisticated summary of my work as a music producer and audio engineer for live and recorded music, with a particular focus on vocal-driven projects in spatial and immersive audio formats…
In simpler terms, I collaborate with fellow creatives to bring our musical visions to life. We write music, craft melodies and lyrics, create instrumental parts, record performances, mix it all together, and balance the relationships between all these elements.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Every so often, you hear people say “self-made” and “from the bedroom to the top”… but nothing could be further from the truth! This might sound like I’m on a plateau ready to thank those holding the pillars in place. Quite the opposite actually. I have big dreams.
I was incredibly lucky, and I continue to be incredibly lucky to have friends, family, and strangers show up and support me in just the right way at just the right time. Even when they didn’t have to.
No one asked my mom’s colleague’s husband, Marco, to drive five hours across Germany to visit me at my childhood home and introduce me to digital audio workstations, teach me how to record full arrangements starting from the little melodies in my head, and spark a fire from a thought. Yet he chose to.
Sinead, my ENT doctor’s friend in London, took me in when I studied music. She didn’t have to support me and my dreams, nurture me like a son, make me brother to her daughter, and cousin to her nephew. But she did. Even in tough times, especially during COVID.
Later in the US, I found a friend and mentor in Loudon Stearns, who asked just the right questions and—though he would never admit it—set up life-changing opportunities for me behind my back. There was zero obligation for him to give me anything, yet Loudon ensured I stayed ahead of the curve then and now.
To tie it all back together, I am not “self-made”. My rapidly growing career is a product of teamwork, and I am grateful to say that hundreds of people have had, are having, and will have a huge impact on my trajectory, some with big gestures and some with small ones. I endlessly appreciate being part of a community built on support, and I am highly excited to pass on the favour as we all continue to grow together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dannyymusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannyonrecord/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-211290102
