Paul Dateh

CTG: What is the best place to check out your music?
Paul Dateh: The best place to check out everything I do is my website (http://pauldateh.com).

CTG: The lyrics to Song for Jessie & Jacob are incredibly moving, what is the story behind that song?
Paul Dateh: 2 years ago, two very close friends of mine became innocent victims of gang violence. Even after two years, it's still very difficult for me to accept the fact that they are gone. I wrote the song as an open letter to them. It means a lot to me that you were moved by the lyrics, because they were truly great friends.

CTG: You've worked with some pretty big artists like Baby Bash & Daz Dillinger, if you could chose one artist to perform with, dead or alive, who would it be?
Paul Dateh: You can now add Public Enemy, Johnny Juice, and DMC to that list, haha! I truly feel so lucky to be able to work with such amazing artists on a regular basis. I know you asked me who I'd like to perform with, but I'd rather answer the question of who I'd like to be a student of - dead or alive. Clifford Brown is someone that I wish I could have learned improvisational phrasing from. He was such an amazing trumpet player. I also wish that I could have been a student of David Oistrakh. He was one of the best we've ever had in the violin world. But, they're both deceased, so I guess I'm just going to have to learn from their recordings.

CTG: Your Youtube video with Inka One has well over ONE MILLION hits! Did you ever think it would become so big??
Paul Dateh: Actually, no! I honestly never expected the video to go viral. One day, out of nowhere, I started seeing the video being posted everywhere, and my inbox became flooded with messages. It was an amazing feeling. I feel really humbled by the whole experience.

CTG: My favorite thing about you is your ability to blend with every type of music from hip hop to jazz to mainstream, which do you prefer?
Paul Dateh: I love music. Period. Every piece of music I hear influences me in some way. I honestly love it all. (Except for the stuff that sucks. Just kidding. Haha.)

CTG: Being a violinist since the age of four, what was your childhood like, all work and no play?
Paul Dateh: You hit it right on the head: all work, and no play. As a young kid, it was definitely difficult watching my friends play in the street while I was locked inside practicing Kreutzer etudes (Kreutzer is pretty much a violinist's rite of passage). But, now that I'm older and get to play the violin on my own terms, being a musician is both work AND play. :)

CTG: You are no doubt the sickest violinist i have ever seen... what influenced you to start performing?
Paul Dateh: Thank you. I simply love music, and I just want to share it with anyone that is willing to listen. That thought is what's behind every performance I give.

CTG: If you weren't making music, what would you be doing?
Paul Dateh: I wouldn't be anything, because I would be dead. As long as I'm alive, I really can't imagine doing anything else!

CTG: Every day you seem to be accomplishing more and more, what are your goals as an artist?
Paul Dateh: I only have one main goal: to become a better musician with every day.

CTG: What was it like to win honorable mention for the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Competition?
Paul Dateh: I was actually never notified of my win. I accidentally found out through a Google Web Alert six months after I was awarded. But, I was still excited, nonetheless! :P

CTG: How did you and the guys from The Live Moment come together?
Paul Dateh: We were all classmates studying Jazz at the USC Thornton School of Music. Being able to make music with your friends is awesome.

CTG: You are so real and stay true to yourself, how do you make that happen in the music industry?
Paul Dateh: This industry is definitely a very difficult one to be in. But, I really love my job as a musician, and that's what I hope will keep me grounded and focused.

CTG: What can we expect from you in the future?
Paul Dateh: An album! I'm recording it now. It'll be ready very, very soon. Please check my website for regular updates, as I'll be recording and uploading video of my progress.

CTG: I love hearing new music and sounds, what are some songs you can recomend for anyone looking for something new?
Paul Dateh: Here are some of my current favorites: People Under the Stairs, The Foreign Exchange, The Clientele, Brother Ali, and Maraca y Otra Vision.

CTG: What was your new years resolution and have you stuck to it?
Paul Dateh: I was never good at making or keeping new year's resolutions, so I don't make them anymore. But, I do still make honest goals for myself on a regular basis, and I definitely stick to those!

CTG: Now my favorite question, that also tells a lot about a person, what is your drink of choice???
Paul Dateh: I can't say that I have a favorite drink (yet), but you can never go wrong with a solid shot of good tequila!