Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Dan Schiz of Burbank

We recently had the chance to connect with Dan Schiz and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I typically wake up to the sound of my alarm & hit my snooze button 5 times. I intend to wake up early each morning with mixed results. Ideally, I’d like to get some writing done early in the morning. Typically just freeform journaling to get any emotions out, plan for the future, or focus on gratitude. However, before I can get to that, I must start the coffee-making ritual. This consists of heating water to the perfect temperature & measuring the correct grams of coffee grinds for my French Press. Once that is brewed, I sit down at my desk and write while listening to some music. Eventually, my dog, Mochi, walks over to me, signifying that it’s time to take her on a walk.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi I’m Dan Schiz, a professional guitarist and songwriter. I’m best known as the guitarist for the platinum-selling band, Powerman 5000. In addition, I’m also a solo artist. I just released my latest single, The Actors. My music can be considered Alternative Rock with a Progressive twist.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was diagnosed with ADHD in the early 90’s at the age of five. I was always distrupting things, running around, jumping, and being a general nuisance. However, the world eventually sunk it’s claws in me and calmed this wild child down. For years, I hid this wild child within from the world and as an adult, had to do a lot of work on myself to get it back. I’ve learned that you never get anywhere in life following everyone else’s rules and that it’s good to be a disruptor. It’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
The day I found out that I was going to be a member of Powerman 5000 was a day that I almost gave up. That very morning, I felt like a failure and considered moving out of Los Angeles. At that time, I was band-less and hopelessly single and I had felt that I was going to accomplish all that I was going to in music. However, later on that day, I got a text from SpiderOne (lead singer of Powerman 5000) asking me if I was available for tour.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
One thing I believe to be true but is hard to prove because it cannot be observed is that the actions someone takes but is never seen determines their character. For example, if two musicians are supposed to be at a rehearsal at 7pm and one musican arrives in the parking lot at 6:30 and the other at 6:50, it makes a huge difference. The musician who arrived at 6:30 managed their time better, accounted for traffic, and now has the opportunity to review the material before rehearsal. I believe the early musician will create more opportunities in their life.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
That I lived my life differently. That I turned left when everyone else went right and followed the beat of my own drum. Even musically, the songs that I write are hard to categorize. For better or worse, I always try to create my own universe and create an experience that is uniquely my own.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danschizmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dschiz
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/4zHDjY53jcTqIh00SIcbt0

Image Credits
Marissa Guevara @dontfeedtheunicorn
Edson Ochoa @luckyshot_photos
Leonardo Trevino @itsmefurby
Nicole Forte @nikkifortephoto