Music Stars Making A Social Impact: How & Why Violinist Damien Escobar Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
The cause I really stand for on a daily basis is people living their most authentic lives and loving themselves. The most gratifying moment for me is when someone attends my concert and shares a message with me about how that night or experience impacted them…That’s it for me! I’m in the people business, I’m a hope dealer. People just need something to believe in, and the biggest thing they should believe in, more than anything, is themselves.
As a part of our series about music stars who are making an important social impact, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Damien Escobar.
Damien Escobar is an Award-winning violinist whose storied career spans nearly two decades, including Billboard chart-topping albums, sold-out global tours, collaborations with international brands, and two Emmy Awards. He is the world’s most in-demand violinist who went from being homeless playing violin on the NYC subway to selling-out theaters worldwide.
Thank you so much for joining us on this interview series, Damien. Can you share with us the backstory that led you to this career path?
So, I started playing the violin when I was 8 years old and fell in love with the instrument. By the time I was 9, I was asked to audition to attend Julliard. I went to Julliard for three years and ended up falling in love with classical music. I grew up in an area in NY called Jamaica, Queens where HipHop is prevalent. So really, I fell in love with those genres at a young age and both musical styles strongly influence who I am today.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career? What was the lesson or takeaway you took out of that story?
It wasn’t really funny then, but I can laugh at it now. In 2009 during President Barack Obama’s Inauguration Ball, I performed at one of the events, and there was a big record executive in attendance who I knew and thought was a supporter of mine. I did previous work for one of his artists who was huge at the time. I walked up to him, not seeing him in a while, and said “What’s up.” He literally didn’t look at me, at all. I said it again, and said “How are you man? It’s Dame!” (I cut my hair so he might not have recognized me). He turned to me and said, “I know who you are.” And turned and walked away. That moment made me feel really small and, at that moment, I realized the industry was filled with people who will use you for what they want and then discard you. From there, I distanced myself from the “music business” and got into the “people business.” Not focusing on record deals and all that but making sure I was making genuine relationships with people working in and around the industry. Before, I would attribute a person’s value to their stature, but I realized that investing in potential and keeping great people around me has been the key to my success, now almost 14 years later.
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
Don’t emulate my success. My path is not your path. Find your own path, find what you’re passionate about and stay true to that. The only real advice I can give is; don’t expect anything to happen overnight. Build your career and really connect with people and your fans. Also, ask yourself this; if your socials got deleted tomorrow, would people remember you? If yes, then you have real fans and a real career. If not, what you have isn’t real, and you need to focus on building an authentic career that’s based on connecting with real people.
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
Absolutely, my mother and my aunt! I don’t have much of a story, just more so a legacy. Two women coming from a family of 12 siblings all living in one house, from the hood in Brooklyn. They wanted more for themselves and their children and made a better way of life. Seeing them struggle and grind has been the key to my success. Hearing them being told no, and then finding a way to get in anyhow fueled my passion. I owe a great deal of gratitude to them both.
How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now? Can you share with us a story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
I’ve learned that the way you impact the world is by first impacting the person closest to you. I used to focus on things at a macro level and realized that was too ambitious. So, I started working backward to impact youth on a micro-level. That has been the true gift to me, one on one impact with the youth. Whether that be through my own children, kids we work with through my foundation or those with the YMCA on which I am on the board. Those are the kids who are going to impact the world globally, they are the future. My whole mantra now is to be global but think local.
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
The cause I really stand for on a daily basis is people living their most authentic lives and loving themselves. The most gratifying moment for me is when someone attends my concert and shares a message with me about how that night or experience impacted them…That’s it for me! I’m in the people business, I’m a hope dealer. People just need something to believe in, and the biggest thing they should believe in, more than anything, is themselves.
Are there three things or are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
YES, I have THREE. Normalize taking breaks, normalize taking mental health days, normalize the word, NO.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”
- Be patient.
- Trust yourself.
- Don’t eat pizza at midnight after every concert LOL.
- Surround yourself with real people.
- Stay on YOUR journey.
You’re a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would start a movement to encourage everyone to ask someone, “How are you doing.” And listen and hold space for the person, not just to respond but to really listen and empathize. You never know how many people you can save with those four words; “How are you doing”. I want the world to get into listening to each other and loving each other.
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? And can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
I don’t really have one, and I don’t want to go to Google to find one. I’m not big on quotes, I am a man of very few.
We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Elon Musk because he’s authentic. You may not agree with him, but he’s always going to be honest and give you the raw truth.
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
Music Stars Making A Social Impact: How & Why Violinist Damien Escobar Is Helping To Change Our… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.