Meet Cortez Daniel

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cortez Daniel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cortez , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

My confidence really began to take shape the summer before my sophomore year of high school. A family member offered me a chance to travel with them to Madrid, Spain, and take part in a program called Pueblo Inglés, a camp where native Spanish speakers practice their English by living and speaking with native English speakers for a week.

It was my first time ever flying…and it happened to be an international, first-class flight, headed to a mountain retreat near Salamanca. As a little Black boy from Atlanta who had barely been outside the city, that experience cracked my world open. But what really changed me was the mindset I formed on the plane. I remember telling myself, “This is my chance to try being my full, unfiltered self with no long term consequences.”

If people didn’t like me, I told myself I could just come home and go back to being quiet and guarded. But if people did accept me, then I owed it to myself to keep being me.

So I tried it. I spent that week being the emotional, artistic, quirky, funny person I always felt I was inside and people didn’t run for the hills. I was accepted in a way I had never expected or experienced. The organizers even invited me to stay for a second week at camp! They told me I brought something special, and they wanted me there.

That week changed everything. I met people from all over the world, and for the first time I saw how culture, language, and background shape the way people think and connect. It helped me see myself differently too. I came home with real proof that who I naturally was, was enough.

From that point on, I made myself a promise:
If being my true self worked in Spain, I owed it to myself to continue being me.

Whenever doubt creeps in, I go back to that trip. It taught me that confidence isn’t about pretending, it’s about authenticity. That belief has shaped everything I do today as an artist, educator, and entrepreneur.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Whether you’re 3 or 82, I help beginners, returning musicians, or lifelong artists reconnect with the joy of making music.

As a former music student, I know firsthand how formal training can sometimes dim your spark. I have a teacher who helped me discover music on my own terms. I try to pass on that same spirit to my students. The idea that music can be pursued purely out of love and curiosity.

I co-founded Tones Collective LLC, a music education and performance company. Through Tones, we teach online and at-home music lessons, compose original works, and provide live performances for public, community, and corporate events. We collaborate with communities in both Colorado and Georgia to create meaningful, high quality musical experiences for musicians of all backgrounds.

I serve as a Musical Director for the Evergreen Players Drama Camp every year and work in Athens, Georgia as an elementary music educator, helping young students build early confidence and creativity through the arts. I’m the music director at Congregation Children of Israel in Athens and I’m the one behind much of the marketing and creative direction for Tones Collective.

We have several exciting things on the horizon. Anyone interested in what we’re doing can learn more at tonescollective.com.

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?

When I consider what’s really shaped my journey, the first thing that comes to mind is learning how to root for myself. I had to realize pretty early that nobody was going to hand me the life I wanted. If I didn’t ask for opportunities, put myself out there, and push toward the things I saw for myself then those things just wouldn’t happen. I treat every day like a chance to earn the experiences I crave instead of waiting for permission to chase them.

Something else that’s been huge for me is staying curious. I’ve never been afraid to say, “I don’t know how to do this. Can you show me?” Things I’ve learned come from people who teach in fifteen minutes what took them years to understand. Being open to other people’s skills and perspectives has helped me grow as a creator and person.

I’m a big believer in setting short, intermediate, and long term goals. When we started Tones Collective I knew we needed structure so we could measure progress and not get overwhelmed by the big picture. Having those realistic check-in points keeps us moving forward and reminds me that even small steps matter.

If I had any advice for someone starting out it would be this. Don’t be scared of what might happen if you try. Be scared of what might happen if you never do! Root for yourself. Dr. Mae Jemison said “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”

That’s something I remind myself of all the time.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Absolutely. Tones Collective is always open to collaborating with schools, communities, and venues that want high-quality music education or unforgettable live music experiences. We’re growing our online lesson studio, traveling for workshops and residencies, and partnering with programs that want fresh, engaging opportunities for their students.

We create custom alma maters, prepare students for All-State and LGPE, provide professional development for educators, and lead workshops on community engagement, and options for students after high school. And for venues or events, we also offer a live soul band that has performed for RMI, The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta, and county-wide events.

If you’d like to explore working together, you can see all our services at tonescollective.com or email us anytime at [email protected]. We’d love to bring what we do to your community.

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