The Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast

Episode 042 - Derick Sebastian - The Interview

• Derick Sebastian / Alex Gadd • Season 2 • Episode 42

Share episode

Send us a text

This week, we have a very special episode with Ukulele virtuoso Derick Sebastian. Derick shares the story of how he came to the Ukulele, and how it's changed his life. He shares stories and music with us, and now, he's written a book, entitled Daydreaming with Purpose, which will be released at the end of January, 2025.

It's a special episode with a special musician, as we continue to bring you great music of all kinds, this week on the Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast!

00:00 Introduction to the Rock and Roll Show Podcast
04:54 Derick's Musical Journey Begins
12:02 The Influence of Mr. Ellis
19:50 Early Performances and Contests
22:54 Connecting Music and Sports
24:13 The Journey to Performing at Major Events
31:56 Dream Venues and Future Aspirations
36:40 Evolving Musical Career and New Directions
40:29 The Inspiration Behind the Book
45:35 Legacy and Mentorship in Music

==========================
Connect with Derick here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dericksebastian/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derick.sebastian
Web: https://www.dericksebastian.com/
Book Info: https://www.dericksebastian.com/daydreamingwithpurpose

===========================

Connect with us on social media!
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook

Alex Gadd:

Welcome to The Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast. We are here to share the thrill of experiencing live music together with strangers and with friends. And to get to know our guests a little bit better through their experiences with music of all kinds. I'm your host, Alex Gadd, and I relate to people best when talking about music, finding out what kind of music someone's into, how they got into music in the first place. Allows us to get to know and understand one another better. Today, we've got a great show lined up for you and it's something a little bit different. We'll be talking with Derick Sebastian. Derick is a world class ukulele player having played all over the world, so we'll find out how that developed. And now he's become an author with his first book, Daydreaming with Purpose, set to come out in early 2025. So we'll talk about that and much more. Please welcome Derick to the show. Derick, how are you?

Derick Sebastian:

Aloha, Alex. Nice to see you, my friend.

Alex Gadd:

Great to see you. Are you in Hawaii?

Derick Sebastian:

Yeah, I'm here on Maui, Maui, Hawaii, Wailuku area. So yeah, it's beautiful.

Alex Gadd:

I love Maui. I've only been once, but I did truly love it. So, where were you born and raised? Is that where you grew up?

Derick Sebastian:

Yep. Born and raised here on Maui, but a little different, uh, more in town is called Kahului. And then, uh, my wife and I got married and we move a little bit up towards the mountain. So in Wailuku area, so still on Maui though, still smiling.

Alex Gadd:

Good, as you should be. It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

Derick Sebastian:

Oh, beautiful. Awesome.

Alex Gadd:

I always like to start with just getting an understanding of how you found music or how music found you. And I know you have a unique story there. Um, but if you could just share that, I think it's a fascinating story.

Derick Sebastian:

Sure thing. Um, you know how it's a long story because, it all started when I was three years old, when, when my dad, passed away, uh, when I was three years old. And, at that time, early on, um, I didn't really understand what was going on, not having a dad around until when I got a little bit older. Uh, I would say maybe You know, 4th, 5th, 6th grade kind of deal where, um, I would see all my classmates going to all these parent teachers, conferences, you know, school functions and meetings and all that good stuff. And, I'll be going to those meetings. No, no dad, obviously, because he passed away and then, I would be going with my sister or my aunties or uncles and it would be like, man, you know, I started to question life a little bit, you know, and, uh, why me, why my dad is not here. And, I, it was a kind of like a void in a sense. And I started to just trying to search for life a little bit, search my purpose. Um, and, my mom, let me join baseball and uh, it was like a whole new thing, like a breath of fresh air kind of deal. Um, so I played baseball for a couple of years and then, um, my my asthma got bad at 11 years old. And doctor said, no baseball, none of that go to school, come home and just rest your lungs. And I was like, what in the, you know, I just found something great baseball. And now it's being taken away again. And I kind of went in that little hole, not being so motivated. And one day in sixth grade, I saw my, uh, this is our school security, Mr. Sam Ellis, and he's a long time family friend prior to, you know, I I've known Mr. Ellis since I started elementary. But anyways, um, Mr. Ellis was the school security at that local intermediate school at that time. And he was sitting on the bench playing his ukulele and I, it was during recess and I, you know, I was just looking at it and I kind of gravitated to that. And everybody did, you know, Mr. Ellis is on the bench jamming, improvising, singing, laughing, you know, just having a good time. And everybody was just cruising and just smiling. I was like, wow, this is cool. And I felt that pure fulfillment, the joy of the, if you will. And I just went up to him and he knew me, I knew him. I said, wow, Mr. Ellis. And, you know, he said, here, you try. And I had no idea. So I picked it up. Strum, I sound horrible. And, but at the same time, it was like, It was this new life in my hands kind of deal. And, you know, that was a day that I knew that, wow, this is cool. And, uh, Every recess, I would go find Mr. Ellis, he'd be playing his ukulele on the bench and we got really close. And that was the start of something amazing. 31 years ago.

Alex Gadd:

That is amazing. Now, how soon after that did you get your first ukulele?

Derick Sebastian:

Ooh, you know, Alex, not too, not too long after, man. I begged my mom to, you know, go to the music store. And back then you gotta understand those ukuleles weren't cheap. They made good ukuleles and that's it. No entry levels. You know what I'm saying? So my first ukulele costed close to a thousand dollars and my mom freaked out. She's like, a thousand dollars. I mean, but I wanted it so bad and you know, she, she got it and that was, I still have it, you know, and it's one of the best gifts in the, I could ever have. Yeah. It's just changed my life, man.

Alex Gadd:

You know, it's interesting when parents see that thing that their kid really responds to, it's hard not to find the means to get it for them, whether it's a guitar or ukulele or a bike or whatever it is that the kid is really responding to, especially a kid who, you know, From what you described, I imagine it must have been hard. You first, you lose your dad and I'm so sorry about that. But then you lose baseball when you find something that you get, you can pour your passion into. Were you listening to music already around the house with your friends before you found Mr. Ellis and the ukulele?

Derick Sebastian:

you know, to be honest, Alex, not really. Uh, I was into cartoons, watching DuckTales, all those, you know, Rescue Rangers. Am I bringing you back, my friend? Um, you know,

Alex Gadd:

sadly, I'm a little older than you. So no, those are, I was already in college when those came out.

Derick Sebastian:

Oh, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I was, I was bored, man. I was bored watching TV. And when the ukulele was introduced to me through Mr. Ellis, um, like I said, it was, it was a whole new chapter in my life. Um, I didn't want to do anything else but play ukulele and go see Mr. Ellis during school. So I love going to school now, you know what I mean? So it really, um, like I said, it changed my life. It gave me a whole new perspective. And, I was looking forward to it every day. It gave me a little bit of, uh, some hope, you know? So,

Alex Gadd:

Sure. So 30 years ago, 30 some odd years ago, what was ukulele music? What was the music you were playing?

Derick Sebastian:

you know, ukulele wasn't popular back then. It was one of those,

Alex Gadd:

why I'm asking.

Derick Sebastian:

you know, honestly, um, it was a little rough when I first started because, you know, my classmates would actually tease me, that I'm not playing baseball. You should be playing baseball, but they didn't understand that I had health conditions because, you know, I kind of kept it a little personal. So when I picked up the ukulele. Um, I really kept it close to me as a, as a personal thing and Mr. Ellis understood and, that's when I started to get into music. I started listening, you know, obviously the Hawaiian music, uh, the island contemporary, the reggae, all those, you know, good island vibe music. And we kept playing more and I started to explore a little bit more into, you know, flamenco picking and rock-n-roll and all these Carlos Santana to, you know, Jimi Hendrix to all these kind of, it gave me a little, um, Just how can I, play these kinds of styles on the ukulele? Um, and just get, like I said, it just opened some doors, man. So it was really a cool thing to experience. Like, how could I do, you know, play all those styles on the ukulele, classical music on the ukulele. So that's what it was. Yeah. It started something amazing, man. So.

Alex Gadd:

very interesting that you describe it that way, because I saw your TEDx talk, and in that, after you played the original song, which is a tribute to Mr. Ellis, which we'll get back to, you just showed the audience what you were capable of playing. And it started with, I believe, a classical piece that you merged fluidly. Into Stairway to Heaven, I believe. And then you went on to play what I thought was flamenco music.

Okay.

Alex Gadd:

And I'm like, I thought to myself, is this guy really just playing all these things as one fluid piece of music? It was really something to see. So I'm glad you described it that way. Cause it tells me I'm not crazy more than anything. Um,

Derick Sebastian:

you.

Alex Gadd:

at

Derick Sebastian:

not crazy,

Alex Gadd:

did you know? No. So at what point did you know that, that. Playing music was going to be your life's work, your calling, and your purpose?

Derick Sebastian:

Wow. Um, you know, it took a couple years to understand a little bit of what this ukulele was transforming me into or transitioning me into, I should say. You know, from sixth grade, seventh grade, my goal was to master the instrument. I wanted to see how I could really take what I'm hearing and just playing it without learning music, without knowing sharps and flats and all that. crazy, you know, theory stuff. Um, I tried, but it didn't really resonate with me. So I, my goal was to practice and have fun, but yet master the instrument. When eighth grade came around, when about 13 years old, um, I was back into baseball already, but at the same time, I was juggling and trying to balance the ukulele. And, uh, you know, I would say I was practicing ukulele probably about six hours a day, get up about five in the morning, practice about hour and a half before getting ready for school, uh, recess, lunch recess after school, a little bit with Mr. Ellis and then come home, Kind of practiced a little bit and then maybe, go to baseball, whatever, and then come home, do homework, dinner, and then I'll practice until almost I fall asleep with the ukulele. So it was a long day, but it didn't feel like it. And at that time at 8th grade at 13, I started to ask that question and Mr. Ellis really helped me to emote. through the ukulele to express, my dreams and my, you know, my vision. And I, I realized that the question was, how can I inspire others to the ukulele? You know, could I travel the world? Could I go like on a different island just to start? Maybe to the mainland? I don't know, you know, um, but it gave, it allowed me to, to dream and to just ask myself what if, and, from there. It really opened up, uh, the life, the, the perspective of, Daydreaming with Purpose, which is my book title right now. So anyhow, that's how the ukulele, uh, really kinda at eighth grade to answer your question at, at 13 years old is when I said like, Hey, how can I actually take this a little further? So, yeah.

Alex Gadd:

Yeah, that's very, very impressive. Do you remember the first time you played out to strangers?

Derick Sebastian:

Yes, it was, uh, it was actually for Mr. Ellis's like families, you know, the uncles, the aunties and, um, and it wasn't really to perform, you know, his, his idea was and he's he made it clear. Hey, we're not here to show off your talent. You know, we're not here to make everybody see that you can play ukulele. We're here to share your gift. It's our responsibility to share this gift that we're blessed with. And from then you'll learn more. And I couldn't understand, at that time, but hey, I just love playing ukulele. So I showed up regardless, right? So, uh, I went along for the ride, play, play for, you know, whoever would go to the, Family gatherings to the park, to people's garages and what we would just jam. Um, but it, it really set a foundation where I realized what he was trying to, to teach me was, it's all about the relationships, you know, giving back. And, not always receiving, but always giving back, giving that aloha, giving the love, giving the gift and the more we did it, the more we, we got back, which was not necessarily monetarily or anything, but we're just the love and the relationships that we develop. He set that foundation, Mr. Ellis, and he, he became, you know, that, that adopted father, if you will, or that Hanai dad, we call that in Hawaii, Hanai, which is adopted. And, You know, that's that's what the ukulele did, man. It wasn't necessarily just like something that I could think of, like, doing for a living, but it was definitely part of, man, the ukulele got to be part of me wherever I go, whatever I do, I got to start playing the ukulele and that started like a wildfire deep down inside. And that's when I started asking myself, okay, how eventually, how can I make a living, you know, playing the ukulele? And that's a whole different story.

Alex Gadd:

Oh, we're going to get to that story. Don't worry.

Derick Sebastian:

Yeah.

Alex Gadd:

so while you're in high school, what kind of music are you listening to that influenced your ukulele playing? So you said 13. So now we're talking about 14 to 18. What kind of music is influencing your playing?

Derick Sebastian:

Oh my, you know, there was a lot of influences. I had a group of friends that we played music together, which again was more like the reggae, the island and stuff like that, but when in, in high school, obviously juggling sports again and, and school and all that stuff. A lot of classical, to be quite honest, very uncomfortable music that I thought to myself, how can I, um, take this piano, like Beethoven or whatever, and just kind of apply it to the ukulele. So I don't read music, you know, Alex. So it was a challenge to, to just, Kind of, you know, play it on the ukulele because ukulele has just only four strings, right? I started to explore Carlos Santana, uh, Europa, Oye Como Va, those kind of, you know, Black Magic(Woman) I thought, man, how did, that was such a cool thing to play it on the ukulele and I started exploring that in addition to all the local music that I was jamming here with some friends and, you know, Mr. Ellis. So I noticed performing wise, we would have fun. Jamming the local stuff, you know, reggae or whatever. But when I was alone, it was like more deeper into the ukulele, where it would challenge me, obviously listening and, and just trying note for note, bends, scales, uh, riffs. Like I said, I don't know pentatonics and all those good stuff, but, um, people would say, Hey, that's, yeah, they would like, Hey, that's a pentatonic scale. I was like, what's a pentatonic scale, Right?. So I don't know, man, Alex is just, and I'm still learning today. Right. I studied different types of music and all that good stuff. So yeah, it's, uh, it's. It's been a journey to say the least so,

Alex Gadd:

I can imagine. Is there a favorite type of music that you like to play today?

Derick Sebastian:

Not really. I I love just being in the moment and I pick up the ukulele. I play some Bob Marley. Play some classical picking songs that you know, I wrote or just want to mimic on, the ukulele. I play some John Mayer to Jason Mraz to, I mean, I don't know. I just love the, you know, having the ukulele beside me and I pick it up and I just end up playing the, any songs that come to heart, you know what I mean? Or any style for that matter. But yeah, I just love music, man. I really do.

Alex Gadd:

Oh, it comes through when you're playing. Just in the little bit that I've seen as I was researching for this episode. It's pretty amazing. Is there a type of music that doesn't translate well to ukulele?

Derick Sebastian:

I've never tried it a hundred percent, but I got to tell you, man, jazz, jazz music is, is a tough one. Um, for me at least, because it's just all over the place, man. I mean, a wrong note is the correct note for some. I don't know why it is, but it's just like the, I don't know how to figure it out. Um, but I've got some. You know, friends that are ukulele virtuosos and masters to that matter, and they play jazz. So I think that's very inspiring, man. You know, it's just very cool. But yeah, jazz on the ukulele for me. Although I probably have some, you know, jazz, riffs and some flavors on there, but, um, I don't play like 100 percent jazz on the ukulele. I'll drive everybody crazy.

Alex Gadd:

Understood. Can you just real quick take a left turn here? When you're learning to play a song, you're learning by ear. And regardless of what type of music it is, do you focus on playing the melody or do you try and combine the whole piece at once? Do you, do you, how do you break down a song for ukulele the first time you try to learn it?

Derick Sebastian:

The first thing is finding that first chord or the root, is it in C or G or A, or some, some kind of flat, um, and from, yeah, from there, you know, it's almost downhill because, I've developed this, this learning curve where once I find out the chord, whether it's, let's just, for example, G, I know there's a C and a D seven. That's the one fourth and fifth kind of deal in music theory. But that's all I know. But all I know, you know, but for picking,

Alex Gadd:

all you need to

Derick Sebastian:

that's all I need to know. I mean, there's the E minors and the A minors, but I don't know what number or whatever. That is, um, but, for figuring out picking, there's only a couple patterns that you'd able to play any solo on the ukulele. So you just got to find out the first chord or the chord they're playing in. And then there's a couple patterns that I resonate with that. I, I don't know if I made it up or whatever. I don't want to claim it, but like I said, you're in like, same a key of D there's a couple of patterns. You'll play any solo on the ukulele in the key of D, no matter where they go. I don't know even how to explain it, but that's how I learned. And that's how I play. So

Alex Gadd:

When did your music first take you off of Maui or out of Hawaii and elsewhere in the world?

Derick Sebastian:

That, that, that's a long story because it first started like ukulele contests here locally on Maui. And, It started there, some talent competitions, again, local on Maui. And then Mr. Ellis and I, I think I was 13 years old or something. Uh, we entered this statewide ukulele contest and we ended up winning the whole thing, and then I got a little recording contract and things kind of gained momentum there. And by the time I was 15 or 16, um, I started to travel inter island. And I think I had my first gig in the Bay Area about that time too, like 15, 16 years old, uh, an ukulele festival. I got invited out there. So I was just telling myself, how can this be, man? I'm, I'm getting flown out to, some kind of ukulele festival in the mainland. And we, you know, I did it, it was with a group of friends, um, and I was part of it. And from there on, it just gained momentum where I eventually started traveling all by myself. Outside of Hawaii.

Alex Gadd:

Great. I do have to ask, do you sing ever while you play?

Derick Sebastian:

yes, I do sing. I like to sing, not the best, but I, you know, I like to, I like to, uh, tell the audience, the more you drink, the better I sound. So I tell them to start early. So I'm just kidding.

Alex Gadd:

Uh, no, that's a good one. I like it. It's a way to manage expectations.

Derick Sebastian:

right. That's right.

Alex Gadd:

I've done that too. Where have you played? Where is your music taking you today? My understanding is you've played many, many places. So, one of the things I want to talk about is you've played the National Anthem at many sporting events. So, tell me how that started.

Derick Sebastian:

Oh, you know, I mean, oh, my gosh, I don't know exactly how to tell it all in detail, but there was, first, you know, like I said, in Maui, a lot of people travel here, a lot of organizations, sports, and, you know, you know, I grew up, um, with the first love of baseball and sports. I just love sports growing up. And unfortunately it was a blessing in disguise that got taken away from me at a young age because that's how I found the ukulele, right? But when I started to put the ukulele on the forefront and just focus on the ukulele and just slowly, um, put sports or baseball at least in the backseat, I still had that little nudge of, you know, how can I connect this ukulele or this childhood dream of sports, with the ukulele and, and it was just that, what if, what if, and, I had opportunities to play some halftime shows locally here at the, uh, Maui Invitational, which is the NCAA men's basketball tournament here in Lahaina and man, eSPN, I made friends with those guys and EA Sports and Maui Jim and, and things started to like, wow, you do sporting events. This is pretty cool. We never had an ukulele at halftime shows or we never had an ukulele, pregame and all that stuff. So it started like a little trend. And I remember that, um, about that time, my wife and I, we're having dinner at my papa's or my wife's in law, my in laws, my wife's family, and we're sitting at papa's table. And Papa's Table, there's a little TV that always, always has the Lakers games on. So the, all the Lakers always playing, whatever. And, um, that's, that's the backstory of how I became a Laker fan. Because I married into my wife's family and they're just all Lakers fans. But that's a whole different story, Alex. So, um, but anyways, um, We were watching the Lakers, playing on TV and it was Kobe and Shaq's era, while they were playing together. And you know, we were just watching them play on TV and we would just see the Lakers logo be panning left and right and left and right. And I, I kind of paused and I looked at my wife. I said, Hey, what, what would it be like? What if I was to perform Staples Center. center court on that Lakers logo and, um, We kind of laughed at it, man, because it's, it was never done. Right. And we kind of chuckled. We just changed the subject and I went home that evening, man. And for some odd reason, it almost woke me up a couple of times. Throughout the evening, kind of like, what if like, you know, I started to think, how can I do it? Um, I started to try to call the Lakers. It did nothing happen like, you know, like a year, two nothing. Like, I tried calling. I tried email. I mean, it was just plain crickets, like, nothing, like, absolutely zero response, but the crazy part is, I was playing locally here at the Hula Grill and I met this guy. He was watching my show and he was the, he still is the CEO and, uh, the president of the Arizona Diamondbacks MLB team And, um, we became good friends and I was on a tour in Caesar's Palace and San Diego and stuff. And I called Derick and I told him, Hey, I, can I just catch an MLB game? I'm coming from Vegas. I'm going to stop in Phoenix and then head out to San Diego. And he said,"Yes!", and I told him this is special because it's my first MLB game ever and I got two days to spare. So he said, will you have your ukulele? I said, yeah, I'll have my whole equipment because we're on tour. So he said, he just abruptly like, I gotta go. Let me call you back. That's what he said. And I was like, that was kind of weird. And minutes later, the director of game operations calls me. And he, he, said, Hey, Derick just said, you you're coming through town. Uh, will you be able to come to this game? You know, he mentioned the date. I said, yeah, absolutely. He said, well, you know, Um, will you be able to play the national anthem on the ukulele? I said, are you serious? And he said, yeah, we want you to play it here in the stadium. And I said, absolutely. So I said, yes, let's do it. And we finalized like in like five minutes. And we hung up the phone and Alex, I swear, man, I think that's the first time I've ever experienced real anxiety because I've never played the national anthem on the ukulele. You know what I'm saying? And I, I, I, I had to learn the song. I had to learn the song. I had to figure it out. I was so stressed out. I, I have no, I, I was telling myself, Why did I say yes and just yes and yes, even though I'm not ready? But that was a start, you know, Arizona Diamondbacks, two consecutive years. And then eventually the Lakers called me, maybe five years later after initially trying for the Lakers, five or six years later, they called me. Um, played here for the preseason opening on Oahu and that went well, uh, but it wasn't the Staples Center, man, wasn't that Lakers logo. So I tried again the next year and they brought me, they brought me in, uh, after about seven or eight years of trying, they finally brought me in the Staples Center and it was very historic. It was Kobe Bryant's retirement season and it was his last time playing against LeBron James, who was basically, he was playing at that time for the Cleveland Cavaliers. So it was, um, it was crazy. It was crazy. So yeah, the Lakers, it took a while to get there, bruv.

Alex Gadd:

So I see, I know you've played for many other baseball games and basketball games. Where else have you played for people that are really famous? Where, where have your audiences taken you?

Derick Sebastian:

Maui, you know, there's a lot of, uh, established people here in Maui. So, you know, I mean, we, we hang around a little bit, like last week I was, uh, who was I with Lucas Nelson and the songwriters from Nashville. They're here. Um, I Luke Combs. Luke Combs is here. Randy Hauser, Lucas Nelson, Willie Nelson, um, Stephen Tyler. I mean, we all hang out, man. Uh, I did a ukulele lesson with Oprah up at her house up country here in Maui. Um, Mick Fleetwood. I just performed with him a couple weeks ago at the Maui Ukulele Festival. Um, I mean, there's so much man. I mean, but then, but then again, at the, at the end of the day, we're all just human beings just enjoying life and sharing gifts, you know, our gift together. Uh, so it's not necessarily, I don't feel starstruck. Um, but at the same time, I'm very interested in their life's perspective and you know, how did they, how they got started and so I, we talk like that, man. It's not about the, the, the technicality of the music part. It's more like life and I enjoy that a lot. So yeah.

Alex Gadd:

Well, I think you deserve to be treated as an equal by other world class musicians because you are one, too.

Derick Sebastian:

Oh, you're too kind brother. I appreciate it.

Alex Gadd:

Where's the most impressive place that you've ever played to you? Where's the place you've played where you thought, I can't believe I'm playing here? It sounds like the Staples Center was one of them. Where else like that, have you played and thought, I can't believe that my wanting to share my gift with the world has brought me to this place.

Derick Sebastian:

You know, there, there are several places that actually shape my whole entire life. It first started off as dreaming, I wonder, you know, I kind of, I dreamt of like, You know, wanting to, to meet Jason Mraz and, and perform with him. And you know, that happened, you know, it happened here on Maui. I, I had dreams of meeting Oprah and that happened, you know, the producer from Chicago called me all the way from Maui and say, Hey, we bought some ukuleles for Oprah. We want you to deliver it to her personally and give her a private concert and teach her how to play ukulele. And I was like, are you serious? That happened. Um, um, I wanted to travel internationally and I dreamt of that. And my first opportunity was in Australia. That was a very interesting experience because it was obviously it's the first time going out of country. But I ended up traveling to, where'd I go? Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, uh, China, Europe, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Canada. All those places, uh, just totally gave me a whole new perspective in life. And to know that, wow, uh, I'm doing it because of the ukulele. I'm seeing the world because the ukulele, Philippines was something special because that's where my mom and dad is from. And, you know, it was a very humbling experience because. They just, they appreciate it. They appreciate a lot So, um, it really humbled me, to be grateful and to even give back more. But yeah, even the sporting, the sporting stage, the sports stages, to always think that, wow, this is my childhood dream. And I'm playing in front of thousands of people and I look up and they're looking at me and I get so darn nervous about it, um, But yeah, uh, Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, uh, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, and a bunch of MLB spring training games. And it's just been a dream come true, man. There's not one particular event or, or any, you know, anything like that, but a lot of them has definitely, um, gave me some perspective in, in full gratitude and appreciation. So. Yeah,

Alex Gadd:

That's so good. And again, I'm so happy for you that you got to have those experiences, but it seems pretty well deserved from what I can tell. Is there a place in the world that you want to play that you have yet to play? Is there a venue? Is there a, a, city, is there a country that you've never been to? Is there a place like that for you or are you open to whatever comes and you're not focused on one?

Derick Sebastian:

you

Alex Gadd:

dreams here. I'm talking bucket list. I'm

Derick Sebastian:

I, I always hear about, you know, Red Rocks in Colorado and, um, I've passed the Hollywood Bowl many times, but I've never stepped in that, you know, that area. Um, I, you know, those kinds of venues is kind of like those. Wow. I mean, what if, you know, maybe one day, um, but then at the same time, there are those, Sporting events that I would like to maybe check off the bucket list. Maybe like a hockey game. I've never been to one. I would love to connect the hockey game with the ukulele. I would love to maybe hopefully one day play the national anthem in maybe the world series of MLB. I think that would be the next level.

Alex Gadd:

what I was thinking. Is that, yeah, you should have been playing this year at the Dodgers.

Derick Sebastian:

you know, uh, everything happens for a reason, uh, me or maybe a playoff NBA game. Um, I've never done an NFL game. Uh, I've been in contact with several of them, but just the timing wasn't right, which is fine, you know, but Alex, um, I'm at a point here in my career where, you know, if it happens, it happens. Uh, but. If I manifest it enough, I am pretty sure that eventually it will happen. So,

Alex Gadd:

yes, right on. Well, I am too. How do you see your career evolving musically over the next 10 to 20 years?

Derick Sebastian:

you know, that's, that's a really great question, Alex. I really think about that all the time and you know, I'm not going to jump the gun on this, but that's eventually, um, why I'm doing what I'm doing today is more as a creative, you know, ukulele has opened up so many opportunities, but there was a point in my career and it, uh, It really kind of shocked me and shocked my whole entire family because I came home I think after a European a winter European ukulele tour and it was It was an experience of a lifetime, but I was, I was really tired, uh, being gone a hundred plus days out of the year for like four or five straight years. And, um, you know, I, I remember coming home and I told my wife that I don't want to tour anymore. I don't want to get on an airplane. I want to just stay home. And she thought something bad happened. Like something like what happened? Like, seriously, I said, nothing. I think I need to turn the page. She was like, so you're going to stop playing ukulele. I said, no, no, no, no. I mean, I want to see how I can evolve. So that is when I started to tap into creative writing, like, um, maybe a song writer or, or maybe a really real like music composer or something like that. And, you know, things just aligned itself where, um, Jason Mraz was coming into town. I called him, we exchanged, numbers and he was coming from a songwriters conference or a festival. We hooked up, we, we talk stories, we talk life, and he inspired me to just journal, start journaling. Because when you journal. And you just heart dump, you start to find your way and you start to find answers of, you know, the questions you have deep down inside, he said. So he gave me this, this nudge to just journal man and, and write. And that led into songwriting that led into music licensing, which is writing ukulele music for, you know, film, television, commercials, media. Uh, that's what I've been doing for the past, maybe three, four years now. Um, that has been great. You know, I don't have to step on stage much. Um, I create, uh, in the studio. I get briefs. I work with music supervisors, directors, uh, music libraries. Now, um, I, my songs have been signed to several music libraries and directly with like Roxy, Quicksilver, Hyatt, um, and, and yeah, I don't know. So that's what the ukulele has led me into. Um, and and now it's just more private events that I do. Um, not too much on the restaurants or the public stages is more private events, corporate, uh, weddings. So I'm a wedding officiant and I also perform ukulele for weddings. So I've been very blessed and. That whole entire thing led me into writing a book and, um, that's where I'm at today. So it's just been a whole journey, man. Um, the ukulele has definitely changed my life and it's still inspiring me to, uh, use the instrument as a tool to hope, hopefully inspire others. So,

Alex Gadd:

Well said, well said. So let's talk about the book. It's called Daydreaming with Purpose. It's set to come out. I believe you've locked the book down and you're waiting for an official release in January, February. Is that correct?

Derick Sebastian:

correct. Yes, yes, absolutely.

Alex Gadd:

Okay. So how did the book really come about? You gave us the big picture version just now, but specifically, when did you say, you know what, I want to write a book about my journey and how to share that with other people.

Derick Sebastian:

oh my goodness, Alex, this is a great story. Here we go again, you know, that seed was planted years back was what, I always thought what, what would it be like to be an author? And that scared the heck out of me, for real, it was like, Ooh, I'm not going to write a book. Who am I to say I'm an author? Right? Like, it was just like that imposter syndrome was like, there's no way. But then again, that would be kind of cool. You know, there's always that little open door. But anyhow, long story short, I think three years ago or maybe four, um, I met a book coach. He's a publisher and I met him through a good friend of mine's who, who, who's also an author and stuff like that. So, it was just a friend of a friend kind of thing where I stumbled upon a book coach here on Maui, who's been very successful and we kind of talked about it. And I was like, nah, this is not for me. I don't know what to write. So I kind of, you know, swept it underneath the rug for a little bit. Um, and I think earlier this year, we've revisited the idea. Uh, we sat, had coffee and it was a great conversation. And he said to me straight up, he looked directly into my eyes. He said, Hey, it's time to write your book. I said. I don't think so. And he said, no, we need to stamp your journey. We need to, we need to, uh, stamp your stories and document all your stories. So I said, that's not good enough because everybody has stories. Everybody is successful in their own way. And to me, I, I don't think that's, um, you know, uh, you know, uh, like a real reason why I should write my book and, he was just, I could tell he was getting frustrated because I was just so like, no, I'm not going to write the book now. So he said, you know what, Derick, let's, let's put it this way. Because I have three boys, um, 19, 16 and 14 right now. And, you know, his, my book coach right now is Patrick Snow. And Patrick told me, you need to write this book for your boys. And your family, because if you don't write this book and tell your stories and how, you know, the challenges, not just the successes, but the challenges, the adversity, the relationship, your stories to music, if you don't tell that, then they will never know where they came from. Everything would be just memories, but if you document it in this book and you write your stories from your heart, they can now say, this is my dad or this is my grandpa, my great grandpa or whatever. And I sat there, I get I'm getting like goosebumps right now, but that is when I knew

Alex Gadd:

So am I.

Derick Sebastian:

That is that was like the mic drop. He told me you'd have to write that book. At least for your children. And I said, you know what, you're right, I'm going to do it. And I, you know, flipped the switch and man, I, I probably spent, I kind of calculated the hours of this book that I've been working on. Uh, it's easily over 1600 hours right now. It's insane. I went for it, man.

Alex Gadd:

That's great. I can't wait to read it. Do you have an official publishing date yet?

Derick Sebastian:

You know, Alex, um, I, I, I do not yet, but I'm actually in this pre sale phase and within my, my, you know, email subscribers and my family, my friends, the social media, all the support team over the years throughout my music. I started a pre sale for them. So, you know, they can pre purchase it. Um, and then, um, I'm doing this behind the scenes. And then once all this, pre sale is done and, we're going to go global in probably January. So this pre sale is, it's pretty cool. It's a lot of work, but you know, we're, we're doing this very high end exclusive printing. I mean, it's going to be very, um, The best book you can probably print and you know what I mean? It's very immersive with, with a lot of my music, some QR codes, videos, song writings, or featuring my song writings and my songs and all that stuff. So yeah, it's a very, very high end book. Uh, we're doing it for the inner circle or whatever. But when the global launch starts, I think the, the book changes with the prints and the quality and stuff like that. So yeah.

Alex Gadd:

That makes sense. And with your permission, we'll put a link in the description of this episode so that people can sign up for your mailing list

Derick Sebastian:

Yeah,

Alex Gadd:

stay connected with you on social media. Before I let you go, I do want to acknowledge your father figure in your life, Mr. Ellis, one more time. He passed away, is that correct?

Derick Sebastian:

Yes, yes. He passed away back in 2013.

Alex Gadd:

And you wrote the most beautiful song for him or inspired by him that I saw you perform online. Is there a place that I can go listen to that other than on YouTube? Is that a recorded piece somewhere?

Derick Sebastian:

I believe there's a recorded piece on like iTunes and all that stuff. I think I recorded that back in 2010. On an album called From His Heart, I believe. And, um,

Alex Gadd:

And so he's heard it. Mr. Ellis heard that song before he passed away,

Derick Sebastian:

yes, yes, yeah, he's heard. So, you know, that,

Alex Gadd:

a blessing.

Derick Sebastian:

yeah, amen to that, Alex. That song originally was written for another mentor. His name, he also passed away. But his, his name was Eddie Bush and he was, another ukulele great, very established in the ukulele world and Mr. Ellis encouraged me to, make the best of the opportunities that I had with, Eddie, Uncle Eddie Bush. And, you know, he really invited me. To basically fly under his wing and he wanted to teach me life and to teach me ukulele and maybe, maybe, maybe even travel, um, around the world and, and show me the ropes. And long story short, I didn't. Um, I didn't take those opportunities. I thought I knew more. I thought I knew what I wanted in life at that time. I was a little younger. Um, and I wanted to play my own thing and Uncle Eddie Bush passed away with a massive heart attack and that really struck me because I kind of regretted all those times. I thought I knew life. I thought I knew what I wanted to do. And, you know, he was this guy who not just wanted to teach me ukulele, but gave me an opportunity to maybe me being one of his best, you know, my best friends in life kind of deal. So, um, I wrote that song, Eddie Bush, and it just really, um, reflect of Just a beautiful story of one's life where you got to embrace people. When you have the opportunity to love and to develop a great relationship, um, you gotta take it, you know, and, and that song is, it starts beautifully and it gets a little bit intense. Because that's probably where the regret came from the anger, maybe a little bit. Um, but yeah, um, that, that's, that, that song, Eddie Bush was written for a mentor of mines and then, you know, when Mr. Ellis passed, I, that, that song, I just kept playing that song because it reminds me of Mr. Ellis too, you know, we have our ups and downs I mean, yeah, it's, it's, uh, It's music, man. Whatever inspires and whatever, you know, strike the heartstrings, man. That's where it goes, right?,

Alex Gadd:

Well, I think the most important thing is that your mentors can't stay around forever. I mean, that's not how life works, but you carry them on in your work and you inspire other people and that's them inspiring other people through you. You know, it's all part of a, a continuation of, of connections that you talked about earlier. I mean, to me, that's what life is all about. It's. Making those connections, bringing things together, and then sharing it and taking it out to other people and continuing that chain. So, uh, I don't think there could be a more beautiful thing in the world than that. That's what music is at its best when it's doing that.

Derick Sebastian:

yeah, absolutely, man. 100%.

Alex Gadd:

Well, Is there anything I didn't ask you that would be worthwhile covering before I let you go today? Is there a question I forgot to ask or didn't know to ask

Derick Sebastian:

you know, not really, Alex. I'm, I'm really enjoying this conversation. The flow, I mean, is, is very authentic. Uh, we're just talking life and reflecting and, you know, being appreciative of where we are in life today. Um, but yeah, this opportunity to just share a little bit of my journey and, and just being part of your podcast, man, this is great. I really appreciate it. So

Alex Gadd:

Oh, well, I appreciate it as well. And next time you're in the New York area, I want to hear from you so we can connect in person. Um, and I can come see you play in person if you ever play in the New York area. But in the meantime, the book is Daydreaming with Purpose. It will be out in January of 2025. Derick Sebastian, thank you so much for being my guest today. It's been a pleasure talking to you, getting to know you a little bit. And I look forward to talking to you again soon.

Derick Sebastian:

You got it, Alex. Mahalo, my friend. Appreciate it.

Alex Gadd:

And that's it for today's conversation. Thank you for joining us. We'll be back next Tuesday. And if you like what you heard today, we'd appreciate it if you would subscribe or follow to make sure you get notified about every new episode. And please tell your friends. Also a reminder that we release a playlist for every episode. So look for The Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast Playlist on Spotify every week, featuring songs by Derick Sebastian and the music that influenced him. So check that out. Additionally, I want to know what you think. So please leave me a comment and I'll try to respond to them. We love hearing from you. The Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast is a World Highway Media production. I'm your host, Alex Gadd. And until next time, remember that life is short. So get those concert tickets.