We are thrilled to have Mr. Dave Feder, a tremendous musical artist who lives in the Florida Keys, join us on the podcast today. Dave's name is very familiar to most of the residents of the Keys, and many of them have seen and heard him perform, so we're really looking forward to talking to him today. Dave does not play other people's music and he prefers to allow the atmosphere in the room to move him and dictate where each performance will go. Be sure to tune in today, to hear what Dave has to share about his kind of music.

 

Dave was a curious kid, growing up. He had unusual and interesting parents who didn't want to teach their children their prejudices and forced all three of them to take piano lessons, which Dave did not enjoy. When he was about nine or ten years old, he was given a Hohner guitar. He had a book of cowboy songs and he managed to learn every song in the book. He had a neighbor who had a band that would play in the barn, and Dave would often escape from his room and run to the neighbor's house to listen to the band. They played in open tunings, which really fascinated and affected Dave. Later on, Dave's cousin, a talented guitarist, taught him some things about playing the guitar, and eventually, Dave went on to teach himself to play the guitar properly. Listen in today, to find out more about this interesting and talented musician.

 

 

Show highlights:

• Dave explains why he does not enjoy being referred to as a 'local artist'.
• Dave talks about why he does not usually play other people's music.
• He could probably play songs that he has written for ten hours straight, without repeating any of them.
• When Dave sits down to perform, he likes to let the vibe of the room dictate what will happen.
• Dave is currently influenced by the Spanish and Lucian styles of music, which are traditionally improvisational.
• Why he isn't capable of playing the same songs, in the same way, over and over.
• Dave likes to have his mind and body tuned well enough to allow the music to come out of his hands and be delivered and shared with the audience, in the present moment.
• Dave's preferred band understands him well. They are all in tune with each other and they have a conversation, musically, which is very meaningful to the people who are involved in it.
• Dave talks about his role in the Jimmy Buffett Projects.
• Dave shares his definition of success.
• It can take years to perfect certain technical skills on the guitar.
• His parents were interesting, unusual and forward-thinking people.
• Dave likes to fix electronics. He built a television set when he was thirteen years old, from an old army kit.
• When something interests him, he learns about it because his parents taught him that he could learn anything he wanted to. But his parents were aghast when he wanted to go to music school.  
• Dave comes from a family of over-achievers, and they are all very charity-minded.
• Dave talks about ICE, which was formed to build an amphitheater, to bring art, music, and dance to the public at no cost, and to fund scholarships.
• In general, Dave has found that the people who have made it big, are charitable.
• Establishing a value for your art is an important step in being an artist.

Links and resources:

Dave's website - https://davidfeder.com/

ICE - www.keysice.com