Meet Greg Dayton | Singer/Songwriter, Guitarist, Recording Artist, & Instructor

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

Hi Greg, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
During my four years at Harvard I discovered that music was the only pursuit that I never tired of. I could work at it for hours only to find myself more and more inspired. The same was not quite true of my history courses. I had a jam band called “Rub the Buddha” that played at college parties and some local venues in Cambridge and started to meet some people who had attended Berklee College of Music for summer programs. At that point I had been largely self-taught for years and felt the need to get more serious about it. The only theory classes I could take at Harvard were classical, and whole I found them intriguing but I wasn’t classically trained. Playing music had always been my favorite way of connecting with people and friends and while my friends were all off to Law School, Business School, Medicine and Investment banking, I decided I wanted to go to Berklee to acquire the tools to unlock the mysteries and prepare myself for the professional music world. I truly felt I had something unique to say and offer if I gave myself the time to dedicate to it. It wasn’t quite clear how I’d get there. The artistic career is probably the least logical of any. There are many roadblocks and disappointments to face. You have to know in your heart that it’s the only way to find your truest expression.

My mother was a painter and highly respected artist and I had watched her constantly create my whole life, though I never really thought of the creative world as a career. I had to fight all the negative stereotypes of either being a “starving musician” or a “rock star” and set out to explore what I was passionate about. It was scary in a way since music had always been just for fun, and at the point when I started Berklee, there was now a pressure to improve beyond just self-motivation.
You discover quickly that there is immense talent everywhere and that can be daunting until you accept that your own journey will always be valid as long as you keep it real, and keep learning yet never forget your strengths. It takes a lifetime of dedication to hone most of the skills needed to be a performer and a writer, and the process has no finish line. From the moment I left Berklee I started teaching as well which has always kept me connected with students of all ages. Introducing new eager minds to music is exciting and helps me reflect my own learning process as well. Teaching privately I have had the chance to see students grow over a long period of time many into professional musicians themselves. That is incredibly satisfying. Connecting with people on this level is magical. Music can transform peoples’ lives for better. Teaching has also allowed me to focus more closely on my own original music rather than having to play gigs I’m not crazy about.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a singer/songwriter and recording artist for Ropeadope/Modern Icon Recordings. My music is influenced by blues, Americana and classic rock. I think I’m pretty good at writing songs with lyrics that come from the heart and people can relate to. I also surround myself with the best musicians I can and with my last album Sailing for the Sun, and my soon to be released album Break the Chains I have collaborated heavily in the creative process with my producer, Adrian Harpham. Sailing for the Sun was released just before the lockdown in March 2020, so over the next year or so I will be promoting that as much as the new material in live shows. I’m pretty versatile on guitar and enjoy everything from heavy blasting funky blues to intimate acoustic fingerstyle, always searching to serve the song. I don’t think any part of the musical road has been easy on a professional level and there are always new goals to pursue. I’m learning that the truer I am to my own personal voice, the better the music gets. Sailing for the Sun got some wonderful reviews including one from Elmore Magazine. The hardest lesson to learn is “don’t take things personally,” but it is so important.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There’s a lot to do in Sausalito, CA! I’m relatively new to the area (since 2020) after 18 years in New York City. I never get over how pretty and peaceful it is. I’d take my best friend paddle boarding to see the beautiful views, seals and sea birds. Dinner at Poggio Restaurant or maybe Sushi Ran. Also great for a bike ride past the Golden Gate into the Marin Headlands. A trip to Muir Woods to behold the beautiful redwoods, followed by a Monday night Blues jam at the Sausalito Cruising Club. Then a couple days up in Napa, Sonoma to do some wine tastings. Nearby in Mill Valley, Sweetwater Cafe is a great live music spot.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The love of family and friends is essential to any success in life. I have been very fortunate in that sense. While the decision to become an artist was not initially popular with my parents, they still supported it and their very resistance was something I needed to get stronger. Over time they have always been my biggest fans. My close friends who always wanted me to play at parties and small gatherings encouraged me to keep going. My older brother gave me my first big opportunity to perform at the high school talent show when I was just 12. Over time that performance of “Desperado” lingered in many of my teachers’ memories more so than all the academic and athletic titles to come. My sister for sharing all the great albums of the 70’s with me at a young age. The late Loti Lewis, a blues singer from Texas was my first professional mentor. Performing with her I observed how her sheer personality was her most riveting asset. I also learned how deep you need to dig to get better and find songs that you relate to. She also taught me that you are only as good as the worst member of your band. I always try to work with musicians who inspire me and raise my own level. Professor Louie (based out of Woodstock, NY where I have summered my whole life) and his band the Crowmatix has taught me countless valuable concepts about creating and putting on shows. His band have all played with the legends and he knows everyone. Without him I never would have been inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame in 2016. That honor has made me feel encouraged about the journey I’m on, which is rooted in but reaches beyond the blues. It also bears a responsibility to respect and remain dedicated to the craft. There is also all the musicians I’ve worked with in my own band based in NYC who have all elevated the delivery of my original music both live and on recordings. My producer Adrian Harpham, Dave Inniss, Anthony Robustelli, Towera Smith, Eric Brown, Marlon Saunders, Josh Solomon, Clayton Bryant, former student Anson Jones, the list goes on and on… Lastly I would say my own daughter, Noa (27), whose discipline and lifetime dedication to dance has become an incredible source of learning and inspiration for me. She’s incredibly talented and resilient.

Website: www.gregdaytonmusic.com

Instagram: gdaytonguitar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greg.dayton.9

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lMOv_wF560

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1omYx5mQtsTdP9YFjhkAWf

Image Credits
Skyler Dayton, Kristina Zaidner