Daryl Keeter is a 21-year-old singer/songwriter hailing from Greensboro,
North Carolina. A self-taught musician, he has been playing the guitar
since the age of 15, and has since made quite a mark on the Greensboro
music scene as the bass guitarist for local rock/funk band The Green People.
As a solo artist, Daryl adheres to no specific musical genre. However,
one can easily note hints of Angie Aparo, Edwin McCain, John Mayer, and
even Kurt Cobain in his vocal repertoire. His guitar technique is highly
influenced by such acts as Eric Johnson and The Beatles, yet definitely
adds a personal style all his own. It can also be noted that Daryl writes
the music and lyrics for all of his material, and also mixes and records
his own works himself.
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I have always enjoyed the idea of being an entertainer.
Not because it brings people and talent into the public eye, but because
it is an opportunity for one (or few) to express something to many, many
people. In high school, I spent most of my days in the auditorium practicing
lines and tech cues for plays and other performances. I loved the
feeling of hearing the applause as the curtains closed, knowing
that the cast, crew and I successfully maintained the "4th wall"
and conveyed the theme of the piece that we performed. This is also very
true about music. Regardless of the content, words, or lack of words,
music is another medium by which one can transfer a feeling, a moment
in time, or a triumph ... all within the few minutes of a song's short
existence.
I got my love of music from my dad. He used to spend so much time trying
to get me to listen to "Norwegian Wood" and "Don't Let
Me Down", but, being ten, I wasn't very interested in music. He would
always be walking around the house, singing (and murdering) the lyrics
of songs that he felt moved by. I didn't quite understand. However, I
came around when I was fourteen. I really started to realize what was
going on with this instrument called the "guitar", and how one
could awe an audience and captivate thousands with a few melodies. Nirvana
quickly became one of my favorite bands and I spent hours listening to
them in my room.. but, the walls tend to be thin in trailers, so I often
made use of some crappy headphones.
By the time that I was given my first guitar and amp from a neighbor down
the street, I had already been teaching myself, often trying to get others
to show me a thing or two on guitars that their parents had bought for
them. I always envied those who could ask for things (like a guitar) and
get them soon after. Having a guitar all the time meant that I could sit
down and try to learn things by listening to them. Apparently, there are
a lot of people who do not have this ability, and I quickly realized that
I had found yet another talent that I could refine. Of course, the others
at the time were skateboarding, football, basketball, and wearing pants
that swallowed my skinny little body.
After teaching myself nearly all the released Nirvana songs, a few intros
to some Metallica songs, and a few one hit wonders, I started to work
on songs with one of my best friends, Eric Mckeehan. We spent many hours
goofing off and playing our guitars and managed to record some pretty
good ones. He was big into Dave Matthews and Phish.. so, it was interesting
when we would get together and tried to come up with stuff. Shortly after
we started playing together at his place, I discovered the idea of solo
improvisation. Soon after, a few friends and I started a band called Nexus,
where I played lead guitar and wrote most of the music. Our sound was
like a mix between Godsmack and.. well, something else. We managed to
get a nice following in the Charlotte area and I was getting more and
more people coming up to me after shows to tell me how good I was. We
played in a Battle of the Bands in Rock Hill, SC and made it to the second
round. We had started our first practice just three months prior. My skills
were improving and I managed to write a few solo songs that were inappropriate
for a metal band.. so, I kept them to myself. Things were looking good.
But, I was graduating soon.. and not going to college was never an option
for me. I was to be the first person in my entire family to graduate high
school, and to go to college, if I went. Being in the top 10% of my graduating
class, I felt that I would benefit greatly by attending college.
College has been quite an experience. It is so nice to be able to converse
with people who are intelligent and be able to talk about abstract ideas
and philosophy. I am very open to many ideas about the universe, human
perceptions, societies, and whatnot. Being from Gastonia, North Carolina,
I wasn't used to this many educated people concentrated in one place.
UNC-Greensboro isn't exactly the best college, but I was terrified about
money and I didn't get a lot of straight up grants. That, and the fact
that I had to live and rely on one of my friend's parents the last year
and a half of my high school career to help me fill out the proper paperwork
to get to college.. it didn't really leave me with many options. So, this
place would have to do. I have enjoyed things thus far and I've met a
lot of awesome people whom I care a lot about. Also, I am currently in
a band here in Greensboro, The Green People (the link to that site is
in the links section). I had never played bass until I was asked to join
the band as the bassist three weeks before their first gig in December
of 2003. I managed to teach myself the basics and even came up with some
pretty snazzy bass lines for the four songs that we would be performing.
Since then, we have made quite a name for ourselves here in Greensboro
and are trying to spread our sound beyond North Carolina.
In between college and being in a band, I have been working hard on developing
my own sound. I was recently blessed with the opportunity to play my songs
at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. I had many first experiences in going
there, including flying. I had never been out of this area. I mean, Gastonia
is right near South Carolina and I visited my family and friends from
there; and I once traveled to Atlanta, Georgia for two nights to see Tori
Amos. Outside of that, I never had the chance to experience another culture
besides that of the Bible Belt. Greensboro isn't a very music-friendly
place for local bands and I had been quite discouraged to play many solo
gigs here; but, playing at Risley at Cornell was a real eye opener for
me. I realized that there IS an audience for what I do - I felt that no
one respected the love songs and styles that I enjoyed performing so much.
I didn't think that people would be willing to experience what it was
that I was trying to convey in the songs that mean so much to me. But,
alas, these people do exist and I feel that I have a lot to learn and
so many opportunities that await me.
Finding the time and borrowing the equipment necessary to make good recordings
is really hard. I love mixing music and trying to capture the essence
of not only my own songs, but others as well. I have mixed a lot of songs
for other people, including those of a local Greensboro band, S. Burns.
I spend a lot of time listening to tracks over and over.. editing, equalizing
and mastering. I love the feeling of listening to a completed work that
I have spent countless hours analyzing and breaking my back over. I love
working hard behind the scenes to produce something. I love being able
to see others enjoy it for what it is. I think that is why I enjoyed theater
so much in high school; why I work so hard on recording other people's
songs (as well as my own); and why I worked in the auditorium, teching for
operas, dances and musical performances here at UNCG for 2 years.
I hope that you enjoy these songs and are touched by the ideas and by
the subjects that I include in my works as much as I have enjoyed trying
to bring them to life. |