Meet Dre DiMura

 

We were lucky to catch up with Dre DiMura recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dre, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?

If you were to ask my friends or family to describe “Dre DiMura”, I’m certain that “risky” would come up frequently. It’s become a huge part of my DNA. I love taking risks. It’s a skill you can cultivate, as was the case for me.

I was a really meek kid; I had terrible stage fright. I grew up around the arts in New Jersey, so I had big dreams of becoming a performer. I loved music and theater and started performing at a young age. I was still nervous to the point of nearly walking out the stage door at “places” until I was 16. The courage to take risks isn’t about taking action because you’ve conquered fear or doubt, it’s persisting IN SPITE of it. Be defiant.

So, I developed a kind of creed that if I was afraid of something then I HAD to do it. Whether it was trying a new sport, joining a new band, or eventually moving across the country to become a touring guitarist.

I was fortunate to grasp the importance of facing that fear to realize my dreams at a young age. Even though I was afraid, I persevered. It was great training. Those small things build up your confidence to take larger risks. By the time I was into my 20’s, I wasn’t afraid to explore new things and fail publicly. Even if it was embarrassing or cringe or try-hard. So what? It’s not a risk if you’re always happy with the outcome.

The process was far from linear though. Early in my career, I did experience a period of crippling perfectionism, which is the enemy of risk-taking. I had so much to prove, so I got very precious with my work. That fear of failure and/or judgment festered. The stakes felt impossibly high and I was terrified of making a mistake. For a little while I played things safe, trying to control every aspect of my work and career. It may feel safe, but nothing unexpected or exciting happens and you get stuck.

Many of us Y2K babies grew up with an “undo” button; we’re used to living life without consequence. We can unsend a text, save 50 different versions of a selfie, or cancel that subscription any time… We’re programmed to always obsess over making “optimal” decisions, terrified if we don’t like the result.

So if you’re in the grip of that fear, it’s not your fault. But you can change it. It just takes practice. No perfect choice exists. The outcome is always uncertain. You can obsess over the odds and options, but EVERY decision you make is ultimately a risk to some degree; you have nothing to lose by starting now.

In business, the greatest opportunity lies in the things people are the most terrified of and understand the least. In the midst of 2020, with all of my tours canceled, I had a real “What the hell am I doing with my life?” moment. TikTok was an emerging and disruptive medium for creatives. True to form, I forced myself to accept the challenge, and I went all in. I was posting 18 videos a week with the blinders on. Opportunities started rolling in, but there were no guarantees. By 2021, I even started stepping back from live performances to take a chance on the possibilities growing my own platform and brand could ignite. I felt like it would be a tragedy if I didn’t walk through this door that had opened for me in a really adverse time. I could sense people in my circles were withholding quiet judgment. It didn’t bother me. In fact, it was PROOF that I was on exactly the right path. I fed on that.

My “What if it doesn’t work out?” thoughts became, “What if I succeed?” instead.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a guitarist by trade, actor and content creator by accident.

I began my professional career in earnest at 20, as a “session” guitar player or musician-for-hire, playing gigs in LA and on the road. Over five years I went from the club to the stadium level; realizing a dream. When I was home in LA, I supplemented with work in TV; landing parts on Nickelodeon and HBO. I also worked as a freelance music writer and journalist.

Clearly, my path has taken a lot of detours. Before I got into content, I was beginning to think it was a weakness; something that had held me back. We are a society that values mastery, so I was genuinely questioning whether I’d have experienced greater success pursuing just one career path without any distractions.

Ultimately I realized that all of my experience was an asset, not a liability. And it was preparing me for exactly what I was going to do next. How could I combine my knowledge of music, live performance; with on-camera ability and a writing background? Content. And the timing was perfect.

Since late-2020, I’ve built a world for guitarists and music fans to learn and explore the arcane, life-changing power of music, together. That platform has reached over 100,000,000 people globally, and opened doors I never would have imagined; like performing live for four seasons on network TV, interviewing my guitar heroes, and launching my own electric guitar course with ArtMaster. Things I never would have sought out for myself if I’d stayed married to the “concept” of Dre DiMura my ego had nurtured over the preceding decade. The best advice I’ve ever received was, “Don’t be afraid to surprise yourself.”

In 2023, I relaunched my artist project with instrumental guitar/electronic music coined “Nu-disco Shred” by Guitar World. It combines elements from progressive, dance, and VGM. It’s the perfect soundtrack to a late night gaming session, dance party, or F1 race. I got sick of trend chasing and marketability, so I started making music for myself; music that gave me the “brain tingles”. You know the feeling when you hear something that floods your brain with all of the feelgood chemicals and turns into joy? Yes, that. I’m really into the power of timbre and textures. When your eardrums become harmonically saturated, it triggers extreme neural activity in the brain, which is why we love loud, powerful music, regardless of the genre. My goal is to harness that power to move people through music. I have brand new songs coming out next year that I am very excited to share!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Resourcefulness is the quality, technology is the skill, and business is the area of knowledge.

Learning an instrument or craft is the easy part. If you want to create for a living you need to master the currencies of the world; technology, finance, and resourcefulness.

Resourcefulness is embracing the malleability of reality. Build relationships, find a mentor, ask questions (Google is a great start), learn new skills. These are actionable things that can have a huge impact. Never accept anything at face value. Sure, sometimes things may be “just what they seem”, but always explore another angle or two — see where you can apply creative thinking for a better outcome; know when to ask for help. I’ve always been a cautious optimist; and I maintain a healthy dose of delusion. If you are a realist, you will get exactly what you expect, everytime.

Business has a language all its own. Learning the inner-workings of the business-side in your chosen field gives you a tremendous leg up; both in achieving your own goals, communicating effectively, and managing risk. Before I started taking the time to read books, listen to podcasts, and seek guidance on the logistical parts of the music and video businesses, I was always grappling with a tremendous amount of uncertainty. Fear and doubt fester in the unknown, so take command of your “business” and control the things that you can.

Master technology. Getting very comfortable with the tools of your trade (in my case… guitar gear, a phone, computer, camera, lighting, and sound recording equipment) is critical. Before I could even really play guitar, I started making music with GarageBand loops and editing goofy home videos in Final Cut (it wasn’t pretty in 2007). These skills went a long way in laying the foundation for me to effectively bring my ideas to life as I pursued a career in the arts. Technical limitations should never become a handicap. CONSTANTLY seek to expand your skill set in this department. Don’t become an “ideas” person. Work on marrying imagination plus execution.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My incredible fiancée and my therapist are both fundamental to my journey, so I can’t really take a lot of credit for the worldly success I’ve experienced the past few years. When you’re surrounded by even just a few people who believe in you, your entire trajectory can change. Those two encouraged me to take care of myself and really push beyond my comfort zone in so many ways. Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum and “self-made” doesn’t exist. Self-reliance doesn’t get you very far because connection underpins all of the work we do. You gotta check in with your community and not get too sucked into the process, tempting as it may seem. We’re conditioned to believe that results come from pure hustle and grinding it out 15 hours a day. I don’t buy it. Calling a friend today for 10 minutes could be the most fulfilling thing you do all week.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Alex Bemis
Alyson Coletta
Nikoli Partiyeli
Stephanie Lemus

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