A SHORT MUSICAL HISTORY

Before Pastor Daniel entered the ministry in 2000 at 24 years of age, he played music professionally. Here's his story.

I grew up in a family that loved music. Both of my sisters played piano growing up and we were always involved in musicals and plays. I began strumming the guitar after my parents brough home one from Mexico. But the strings ripped up my fingers and I didn't like that as a young child. By the time I was in 7th grade, I had spent a year taking drum lessons. But the problem was that my parents didn't want a drum set in the house because of the noise. So before the 8th grade, I bought myself a bass guitar.

Throughout high school I studied the bass guitar and played in various rock bands around New Jersey. Once I went to college, I began to enjoy improvising music. After my freshman year of college, I bought an upright bass and immediately began studying jazz and classical music. Throughout college, I played in various musical settings, from orchestras to jazz combos, improvised settings to rock and blues bands.

After college, I moved to the West Coast of the USA with longtime drummer, Ilya Stemkovsky, where we eventually formed a trio with Brian Felix on keyboards. That group, the OM Trio, recorded 3 albums over the course of a year and began to tour nationally. As the group was becoming regionally known, I felt called to pursue ministry full time and I left the group and went on staff at Calvary Chapel Marin.

As an assistant pastor, I continued to play extensively in the San Fransisco music scene. I've been blessed to share the bandstand with some of most fabuluous players and people. From the aforementioned Ilya and Brian of the OM trio, to Mel Martin (reeds), to Harold Jones (drums), to members of Wyton's Big Band, to some of the Bay Area's best new jazz musicians, I've been blessed.

Now that I am in New Jersey, I really don't have the time to play as much music as I'd like. But it's normal for me to be playing drums at CC New Brunswick, or leading worship, and ironically, not that much bass.

My hope is that the Lord will be glorified in showcasing some of the music here. God has been inspiring much original worship music at CC New Brunswick. If you click on the Worship Music link, you'll be able to hear some of it. It has been a blessing to work with David DiPietro, the worship leader at CCNB. He is truly a worshipper and has been given tremendous gifts that He has used for God's glory. The musicians on the CCNB worship team are also amazingly humble and all strive to live life vertical, in life not only in song. We hope that God will be glorified in the music and that you will be edified.

If you click on the Jazz Music link, you will get to hear some of the jazz that I've been blessed to be a part of. I was forewarn you, it is not "straight ahead" jazz. I have always been drawn to louder, more experimental types of jazz. The music is dense and often a bit out there for the likes of many. But again, the music, at least for me, has been an offering (hopefully an acceptable one) to the Lord because of His grace. I do hope that He is glorified and that you are edified by the music here.

Happy Listening.
Daniel