An Interview With Gabriel Rock

I recently discovered an artist that goes by the name of Gabriel Rock, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that his music was different, in the sense that it was moody, memorable and reminiscent of some bands you would hear in the 70's and 90's (my favorite eras in music). The music that he has available right now is acoustic and really showcases his ability as an artist to create and stand on his own, but he also desires to collaborate with like-minded Christians in his dream of being a musician. After conversing with him via email, I learned that he is a pretty intriguing person as well, and so I sought an interview with him. Here is the full spread below.




Where are you originally from, and where are you based out of now?
Dover, NJ ...based out of Randolph NJ now


What was life like growing up musically as a kid? Is your family musical, or did you get interested by hearing mom and dad's records, etc...?

I found my inspiration through family records.

How old were you when you realized that you wanted to do music?
I was nineteen when I realized I wanted to do music for my profession.

You go by Gabriel Rock. How did you come up with your name?

Yes, I go by Gabriel Zeldis, which much of my writing is under, and Gabriel Rock. I came up with my name from Gabriel in the Bible.
The last name was just taking up letters to fit criteria.

Where do you get your inspiration from when you write music?
My music is outreach music, meaning it's to bridge the gap between the secular world and the church.

What is your songwriting process? Some people write licks first, then lyrics? 

I have recently experimented with how to write music, but for legal reasons I find it's best to write my own music. I am also open to buying songs outright. Typically, I try to come up with a pretty chord progression, then I try to come up with a pretty melody. The words usually come to me during this process.

How often do you practice and write music?

I practice and write my own music either everyday or according to how much my body and voice will hold up. On the days that I have to rest especially my voice I enjoy writing poetry that I can later use for song ideas.

How does Jesus Christ fit into your life and music?

Jesus Christ in my inspiration for my life that I have dedicated to music. When I consider love, I realize that Jesus is an integral part of my music, and music can be a beautiful form of prayer.

Do you play live shows? If so, where do you play, or have played?

I started playing hand drums on the streets of Colorado... From that point I met other hand percussionists and musicians and eventually started gigging and creating my own bands and composing. I played mostly in Northern Colorado. Now I basically spend time networking and talking to people in the industry in order to fulfill my never ending dream of getting signed.

Besides music, what do you do with your free time?

In my free time, I write ideas about films that I can use to put music to.

You're also an Author. Tell us about that.

Well I've written about ten books, and have recently published the second editions. My book writing has gone back and forth between secular and religious. But I was able to weed out the parts that I felt were more secular and for a secular audience, and bring the books to a more of religious experience. I shuffled them into four books, one preliminary book and then a trilogy. These are available on Amazon, or if you follow my work online you can find them for free. My writing helps me to stay creative usually when I'm resting my voice or if I lose my voice for an extended period of time.

What is the last book you read?

The Writer's Market 2013

So you said that you were a monk for two years. Tell us about that.

I believe in being kind to all creatures. I joined monastic life because I needed to know in my spirit that I wasn't harming living things with my everyday employment. I wanted to live a life of giving and learning the word of God. Inside my spirit, I felt being a monk was very fulfilling based on the amount of prayer that was incorporated into daily life.

Do you have a band website? Where can readers go to get or hear your music?

I am all over the web under the name Gabriel Zeldis or more recently Gabriel Rock, which is my stage name and will be the name that I solely use for music. You can find me at Reverbnation, Sound Cloud or YouTube for example.

Anything you would like share with your readers?
The writing and songs I have on the web are merely ideas, they are rough sketches of my vision. I am looking to work with professionals, other musicians and to get more studio time to begin to create a larger repertoire of original music and to start polishing songs. 

Thanks for your time!




You can find links to Gabriel's tunes and more here on:

Reverbnation

Soundcloud

Youtube