We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gerald Law Ii a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Gerald , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I get my work ethic from my parents. Aside from their jobs, they both started and still currently run businesses of their own. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been exposed to the life of an entrepreneur and the type of drive it takes to build something of your own from the ground up and make it sustainable.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am an artist and composer based in Orlando, FL. I love the creative process and that passion has led me to write and release my own music. I have 6 albums available currently, one in the final mixing and mastering stages, and another that I just started writing. I love that I have the gift of composing music and it’s pretty much a mission of mine to see it through and put it out into the world. What purpose does it serve just living in my head, you know?
These days, I’d say I feel most excited that I can use what I do to build a legacy. My wife and I have 2 young kids (5 and 20 months) and we often have conversations about what we can build and leave for them. With music, not only can they sing along to their favorites, but the opportunity to leave royalties to them and their kids is big for me.
As far as my brand, I’ve been shaping Gerald Law Music to represent all that I do in music. It’s taken time to develop because of the number of interests I have, but the goal was to find ways to bring these all together in a way that benefits more than me. The aspect I’m most excited to share here (in this interview) is ‘Around the Kit with G.’ and ‘Move the Art’. Both of these center around education and pouring into the next generation. ‘Around the Kit with G.’ is my private teaching studio where I give lessons and help young drummers build their foundations in music. ‘Move the Art’ is my newest project in which I am collaborating with local musicians to deploy into under-served schools in our area as aid for band/orchestra teachers, as well as resources for private instruction for those young players. I often reflect on the people who spent time teaching me when I was a kid. We all have a way that we can positively impact those that are coming behind us. This feels like my way.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Reading music is a skill that has paid of for me in ways I couldn’t have predicted. I had the benefit of growing up in an environment where we were learning music on the spot by ear every day. But we each also played other instruments that required us to learn to read music in order to thrive in those spaces (like youth orchestra programs).
It may not seem like a big deal to some, but being on time is so important. My parents were always big on respecting time and I have carried that with me daily. Time is precious. It is also a limited resource.
Thirdly, I’m naturally an observant person and I think that has helped me carve my way into rooms that were necessarily welcoming me with open arms. I watch, listen, and observe where there are issues that I can help improve before anyone even mentions them. I’ve seen how beneficial that can be to a team.
My advice would be to be who you are and lean into that. How do your natural skills benefit a team? Use them with confidence and be someone people enjoy working with.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents have supported me from the very first day I showed interest in music. I was drawn to cello so they put me in private lessons and signed me up for the city’s youth orchestra program. I wanted to learn drums so they took me to every single choir rehearsal and every church service (whether I wanted to go or not lol). My parents bought us (my brothers got the same support) whatever instruments and art supplies that we were serious about diving into. We knew what hard work was because we saw them do it daily. They could tell that we had the same drive as them and they gave us the tools to pursue our interests.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.geraldlawmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geraldlawmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/geraldlawmusic
- Other: www.geraldlawmusic.bandcamp.com
Image Credits
N/A
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
