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Success Stories
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
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David Wheeler (GIT '90)
Jan 01, 2005
Guitar
Most people think of a career as a single path, but successful musicians usually find themselves moving in a number of different directions, often simultaneously. David Wheeler’s story is a prime example:
“My name is Vernon David Wheeler, or as I am better known around town, Reverend Dave. I went through the GIT program as a supplement to my BA in Classical Music Theory and Composition. Los Angeles was quite the culture shock to me. I grew up in Western Pennsylvania and rural Maryland and really had no idea what awaited me here. It was hard in the beginning and many times along the way I was not sure if I would make it.
”I used to spend a lot of time at MI in the Coffee House LPW. I think I was the first person to ever get a performance credit for reading a beat poem during that class. This was the beginning of a wonderful path for me. I am a songwriter and a lyricist, and the inspiration and confidence that I gained in this LPW led me to the coffee house scene and poetry. I have hosted a variety of prestigious events, included the famous Midnight Special Bookstore's weekly event and have been published a good deal in the last couple of years. My current catalog of poems/song lyrics is about 2500 pieces thick. I have been busy!
”This exposure led to an opportunity to play in Driving Words, an entirely improvisational band that backs up poets. We worked on a TV pilot for a nationally aired weekly poetry program called "Lyrically Speaking". On top of playing guitar with this project I did all of the pre-production recording and mixing. I’m currently finishing up work on my new studio, which is designed as an inexpensive audio-video recording space.
”Currently, I work a day job at JBL Professional. What a "terrible" job for a musician with 25 years of experience! I get to help people make their gear run, and I also get to learn about the latest and greatest musical tools. On a daily basis I get to talk directly with people like Ace Freehly, Ozzy Osborne, Eddie Kramer and Peter Chaiken, as well as support crews for artists like Bruce Springsteen and Christina Aguilera. Nights and weekends I run a recording studio out of the house that I just purchased five blocks off the beach in Venice, California. I have produced more than eighty discs in the last two years including Tony-award-winner Poetri, spoken-word artist Ivan Smason and legendary LA blues guitar player-singer Billy Bly.
”All in all, I would say that I have had a great deal of success, due in no small part to my experience at MI. Every single day I get up and go to a job where I get paid for my expertise and creativity. I get to spend my nights and weekends making art and playing with the huge pool of talent in the Los Angeles region. I certainly am not "rock star rich" but the music industry has not been unkind to me. Moving to Los Angeles and going to MI was the best career move I ever made! None of these things would have been possible if I had not taken the plunge!”
To get in touch with Reverend Dave, email or call him at 310-399-9479.
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