We recently had the chance to connect with Adrian D’Souza and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Adrian, 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 is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Over the years I have been so dedicated to my development as a Guitarist that often times I didn’t have optimal health and fitness goals nor ideal nutrition. Going forward from this moment, I have decided to cut down my time on the guitar and add more sessions of exercises at the gym for strength and conditioning, as well as choose wiser choices in diet.
I have chosen this path for developing a sense of well-being, not necessarily only the cosmetic benefits that come with being in shape. I think many musicians in the world are in my position. A lot of them stay up late, drink excessive alcohol, do drugs, and don’t spent enough time on exercise and proper diet because they are so busy with their careers and goals as an Artist.
This lifestyle is counterproductive to living a happy life. Remember, “Victory hangs in the balance”.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I have spent approximately 21 years now in the music industry. I am big on social media, like Youtube, Instagram, Tik Tok, Bandcamp, and Twitch, on my website, and in recent years have expanded my reach to being interviewed by the press out in California numerous times.
Recently, I started a project called the Performance Series. It will be a collection of High Defintion Audio and Video Instrumentals that will form the cornerstone of my future performance setlist, which is in the process of being developed.
Whether it will contains songs by one artist or multiple artists is undecided at this point and will only be finalized as I progress along the way. Currently, there are about half-a-dozen instrumentals in the performance series that have been recorded and it is my vision to see it grow over the next few years.
I may consider returning to live-performance in the future if that is indeed in the cards. However, as for necessity, recording the performance series is my main concern for implementation at this time.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My first memory in life of feeling powerful is when I had enrolled in keyboard related instruments (i.e. the Accordian) when I was 7 years old. However, it wasn’t until the age of 11 that I told my father I heard my instructor play “Beat it” by Michael Jackson on the electric guitar, and became sold on the electric guitar as the instrument of choice to master.
I convinced my father I wanted to master the electric guitar and he purchased me a $400 El Degas guitar and a $100 Solid State amplifier. Back in the day $500 was expensive.
I recommend all beginners start off small. Don’t try to buy the most expensive equipment if you’re just starting. No use in starting off like a lion only to quit 6 months down the line. Using just $500 of equipment I learned all the basics of music as a teenager and beginner. As the years went by I got better and better and invested in more sophisticated equipment.
Today I’m using state-of-the-art equipment. Some of the same identical equipment purchased by guitarists like The Edge and Slash.
Funny thing is I still have that same guitar and ampflier stored away in my studio, decades later, as a tribute to my father. It is my earliest memory of feeling powerful, and one that holds sentimental value.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Throughout my life as a musician there were always periods when I gave up. But soon after, when the moment felt right, I got back on my feet and returned back to the music scene. Sometimes, it’s good to take time off to gather your thoughts and make sure you are feeling motivated.
I believe success starts with a Dream. You see there are people in life who think the reason they failed is because they chose the wrong path – the wrong goals. But they didn’t fail because they had the wrong goals, they failed because they had the wrong dream.
It’s imporant in life to know what your dream is… what motivates you? What gets you excited? Once you’ve figured that out you can always find the ways to make it happen. First get the dream right.
Once you’ve got the dream right, you need to believe in it coming true. You do this not by convincing yourself you will accomplish it, but by IMAGINING it being accomplished. As a Artist and Creative I use my imagination a lot. You’ve got to imagine your dream unfolding , so vividly in your mind, that what today is fiction, tommorrow becomes reality.
It is proven that what the mind can imagine vividly enough, it can manifest in reality. In other words, our brains can’t really distinguish between imagination and concrete reality. When we were kids on the playground, we all imagined our future. We role played rock stars, doctors, and nurses. We role played football stars, and flying airplanes. When we got to University they taught us how to think, how to sit, how to dress, what language to use, who to socialize with, what rules to folllow. When I enterered the stock market it was the same thing. Rule after rule. Guess what? Too many rules limit creativity.
The music industry, like the Entertainment Industry in general, is all about creativity. I believe in freedom of expression. I don’t care what the media says, what parenting says, what teachers say, what friends say, what religion says, what peer pressure is put on me. I simply live the way I WANT in life. I believe in creating my own reality.
Learn to Dream, Believe, and Imagine your ideal future vividly enough and eventually it will manifest right in front of you like a magic spell.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
In one word “No”.
In the media I put on my best impression and act. After all this is how the world perceives me.
But in my own daily life I am more private in my dealings.
I want the world to respect me as a Artist and Creative and not judge me by the way I choose to live.
For this reason I have always emphasized to the press and media that I will only answer questions related to the music industry.
It’s because I want to be taken seriously as a guitarist.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I play the ambient music I created. It is not the most exciting of my performances but it is healing in a way. You know, the ambient sounds and textures relax the mind and heart, lower blood pressure, and create a state similar to that found in meditation.
I enjoy playing rock music like sounds of The Edge and Slash, but I feel most at peace with ambient music. I believe ambient music is closest to that found in nature, and has healing properties.
I don’t necessarity meditate like a lot of people, but by using the guitar to play different types of music you can create a state of mediation, and euphoria. It’s like when I want to feel relaxed and peaceful I play ambient music. When I want to get psyched up I play rock and roll music.
That’s what I love about the electric guitar. Unlike a piano or trumpet it is capable of so many different sounds and textures.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.AdrianDSouzaRocks.com
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/u2adrian1000
- Youtube: https://www.Youtube.com/u2adrian1000
- Other: www.electrical-storm.bandcamp.com
Image Credits
Images are the rights of Adrian D’Souza.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
