Dave Koz – HuffPost 10.24.14

Mike Ragogna: Dave, now is a perfect time to inject that traditional question. What advice do you have for new artists?

Dave Koz: Be you. It’s kind of part of coming up through the ranks where you try to emulate people. I did it, too. I remember one piece of advice David Sanborn gave to me a long time ago. I idolized him so much, everything about him, and I remember in one of my first encounters with him I told him that and he said, “Look, there already is a me, so I’ve got that one covered. You should just be you and be the best you that you can be.” That was really good advice, very important advice at a key time for me. That’s what I would say. This is a very exciting time for music because there are not the fences and the gates and the things that keep people out. The world is available at the flick of a switch and you can develop an audience without having to go through gatekeepers like record companies. If you have a great idea or if you have a great talent, if you choose to show it in a way that can break through you can have a massive career on your own terms. There’s never been a better time to truly be unique and let the world see what it is that is you as opposed to trying to fit within the parameters of how people have been successful in the past.