Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabe Reali.
Gabe, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was raised among a musical household in Santa Barbara, CA. My mom is a vocal coach so music is part of my earliest memories and has been a constant through my life. I started performing on stages at the age of three and began writing songs by the age of 12. Early in my journey, I had the privilege to work alongside musical greats such as David Foster and Lionel Richie, however I didn’t realize that I could do “music” for a living until the high school years. Santa Barbara is a small town, so at the time I mostly relied on local musicians to tour locally and instrumentals on YouTube to further my writing skills… After high school, I attended Cal State Long Beach while commuting to Los Angeles several days a week to work with an accomplished mentor who had taken me under their wing. This was the beginning of what I’m now familiar with being the reality of pursuing a music career. After a year at school, I decided to push a pin in that and move to LA full time. Since then I’ve been in writing sessions nearly every day working on projects for TV/Film, music for other artists, and of course – music for my own project.
Excited to release new music in the coming months 🙂
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like most musicians, it has not been a fairytale. I’d say the hardest years of my life were when I left school and was working a 9-5 job while juggling my musical endeavors. It was ferociously taxing watching every day go by knowing that I wasn’t where I needed to be. Although I left the job that initially gave me financial stability (which was one of the hardest, yet most rewarding decision I’ve ever made) to this day I still work a day job – so my workdays typically run up to 15 hours long between work and sessions. There’s been so many nights I’ve just considered not going to sleep after a late night in the studio and having an alarm set for just a few hours later.
Of course any career has its challenges, but the arts for certain can be extremely daunting. I think I speak for a lot of people in similar situations that the mental challenges such as self-doubt, depression, etc. that come from this type of a non-traditional/sometimes radical career are the most difficult to deal with.
It’s all worth it though, I wouldn’t change a thing. And after years of pursuing this It finally feels like things are starting to pay off.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a songwriter and artist.
In the writing room, I specialize in melodies and lyrics. I work across most genres such as Pop, Latin, RnB, Kpop, etc. I love working with other artists and bringing their vision to life.
As for my own music, I like to make anthemic music that’s personal to me but also sparks something in the listener.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
It definitely takes a village, there’s literally countless number of people who have helped me along the way so I’ll just roll-call a handful.
My family who have emotionally supported me through it all. My friends for doing anything in their capabilities to see me succeed. My earliest music mentor who opened my eyes to the reality of this industry. My first big-boy-job boss for teaching me how to slay life. One of my best friends and collaborator: Ryan Raines, who’s believed in me and brought my first artist project to life. My first manager: Alex Valenti who is a bo$$. Other artists/writers who make the day-to-day enjoyable. And basically everything/everyone else around me because they inspire me daily to make music. Very hippie of me, but I swear it’s true.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.gabereali.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Michael Arellano, Lhoycal, Julia Kupiec
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