Meet Dan Hegarty | Composer, Drummer and Music Industry Professional

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Hegarty and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“You can’t win if you quit.” There’s a lot of talk about how the arts/entertainment/show business shouldn’t be a competition but it sure feels like one! However, the ultimate competition that we have is with ourselves. NO ONE competes with any of us like frustration, insecurities, and self-doubt. Whenever I get discouraged with something that’s important to my collaborators, my clients, our audience, and/or myself, whether it’s creating music, resolving a technical issue, dealing with gear or file logistics, sorting out an administrative task or preparing for a session or a show, I remember this quote and it helps me take the small steps needed to accomplish bigger goals. This quote also motivates me to be a good team member. Success in this field does NOT happen in a vacuum so I do my best to make sure that my piece of the puzzle is in place. I’m also ready to help my collaborators in any way that I can so our team has the best chance of winning – whatever winning looks like for that particular situation.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally? Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way? What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Most of my favorite music is extremely rhythmic, so of course I became a drummer. I played in bands and ensembles for years and then got into composing as a result of living in LA and having actor and filmmaker friends. One of the most critical skills that I developed with drumming was learning how and when to deploy my bag of tricks, and the same skill is needed in composing for media. It’s a good thing that I like to incorporate a lot of different sounds and styles into my music (though I tend to lean on hard rock/metal, electronic and orchestral music) because each director, show, and/or game always needs something different. It definitely wasn’t easy learning to make the switch from just playing drums to writing themes and countermelodies, arranging string and brass sections, blending electronics with orchestras, finding space for guitars and percussion that don’t overtake dialog and sound effects, and of course, learning all of the technology and production specifics that go along with delivering audio. However, I remembered my favorite quote (“you can’t win if you quit”) throughout all of those processes, and eventually it all started to make sense. Composers for media have a very similar role to drummers in bands. It’s a support role – but a critical one because so much attention to detail is needed. The more details that I have about the visuals and the story (from scripts, spotting sessions, meetings and references) and the type of music that someone is looking to have in their project, the better the music will sound and align with the media creator’s vision.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve done the best friend visit a few times. We always go to Hollywood and see the Walk of Fame, fun shops like the Funko Store, and of course, Amoeba. For food, we usually go with Stout or Trejo’s Tacos since they’re both close to everything. I make sure we get to at least one music venue as well. Visitors tend to gravitate towards the Sunset Strip (especially on the first trip) but there are also great venues in Silver Lake, Downtown LA, the South Bay, and in the Valley. If this is a summer or fall visit, I love taking friends to the Hollywood Bowl. I’ve become very fond of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in the cooler months, too. I’d also keep an eye on the Hollywood Palladium and the Wiltern for rock shows. I used to love taking friends to the Arclight when it was open. Hopefully the Dome comes back but til then, I’m a fan of the Regal (former Arclight) in Sherman Oaks, AMC Burbank 16 (gotta love the Batman statue out in front) and I just discovered Look Cinemas in Glendale, so we’d go to the movies at least once. I love film and music history so I like taking friends on a studio tour or to one of the museums. Depending what time of year it is, we go to a baseball game or a hockey game. We would have to see at least one beach and if we’re only going for one day, I like Marina del Rey/South Venice. Hinano has amazing burgers so that’s where we would eat. Later in the evening we’d make our way up to Santa Monica to hear some live music – from street musicians if not at a traditional bar/venue. I think that leaves one more day, right? I guess we’d either go to Disneyland or Universal Studios, depending on my friend’s interest and how much time we want to spend in the car.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe just about everything that I’ve accomplished to my education. Shoutout to UMass Amherst, Musicians Institute, UCLA Extension Entertainment Studies and the music department, past and present, at East Meadow High School in Nassau County, NY. My opportunities for this education also would not have happened without the encouragement, love and support of my parents. There’s a very anti-education sentiment out in the creative world (not to mention the world in general) and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Any snootiness, lack of inclusion/appreciation or elitist attitudes from people with higher educations has more to do with people like that being lousy people than it has to do with any academic program. If that’s not your path, I get it. There’s plenty to learn outside of classroom settings but that still counts as education to me – whether you’re apprenticed to a trade or just learning by doing on the job. I think there does come a point as an artist when you need to let go of all the training and just create, though. I always think of my education, and especially my formal music education, as power tools. Do you need power tools to do every single job in your home? Of course not. That said, if you have really big job to do, power tools can save you A LOT of time and energy if you have them, plus they’ll give you some options if you get stuck. So yeah – shoutout to my alma maters, teachers, classmates, fellow grads, anyone still in school/training now and the concept of education in general.

Website: https://danhegartymusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danhegarty

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danhegarty

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/DanHegartySounds

Other: https://soundcloud.com/danhegartymusic

Image Credits
Anabel DFlux Vito Viscuso