Meet Gabe Kubanda of Epic Proportions Tour and EduMusication in Glendale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabe Kubanda.

Gabe, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m an alt-pop singer-songwriter, small business owner and non-profit organizer, and my new song “Let’s Ride” just debuted this week!

I grew up in a musical household, played drums in the high school band, choir in church, but never really knew what it took, or where to look to have an actual “paying” livelihood doing something involving music. I’d been in a bunch of dead-end bands, learned a lot, took music business courses at UCLA EXT, and wanted to make my own stamp on the musical landscape. I just didn’t know exactly HOW!

As a musician, I saw the need for a better way for struggling artists to gain their own fanbases, as well as a drought of actual music logistic knowledge being taught in the classrooms. Sure, your teacher is making you learn the Oboe, but do you or the teacher even know the vast array of jobs and career options that are available with those musical skills? The “biz” is a multi-billion dollar per year industry. Why are we still treating it like a hobby or un-needed skillset?

I’ve always wanted to own my own business and combine it with my passion for music.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We’ve had struggles aplenty for sure. One of the most memorable was getting hit by a semi-truck, having our bus flip in the air, and crash horrifically. Miraculously we all survived, but not without many injuries. It could have been so much worse, and I count my blessings for sure!

Aside from many road mishaps, canceled shows, crazy fans, stolen gear, and the like, our ability to persevere has been what’s set us apart from the competition. Also, learning how to be a leader and a CEO rather than a follower has been an interesting journey in itself. But it is worth all the craziness, the long span away from family and friends, etc.

Please tell us about Epic Proportions Tour and EduMusication.
We started the Epic Proportions Tour as a boutique concert agency giving artists the opportunity to tour and build an organic fanbase via universities, high schools, festivals, and military bases. And over 700 shows on now three continents, it’s really gone EPIC!

Out of this experience was borne our “EduMusication” org! This program brings our artists into music classes for lively and inspiring workshops and lectures on the importance of aligning your passion and schooling into a rewarding career in the music industry. Through our partners, we’re able to provide guitar strings, picks, music accessories, even brand new guitars! We’re also able to give scholarships to eligible students to our university partners!

And through all of this, it gives me the outlet to continue to write, record and perform my songs, and travel all over the world. This coming year will have us touring all over the US and also the UK and Europe!

What were you like growing up?
I was an extreme introvert, was home-schooled, had a hard time adjusting in high school, and was an easy target for bullies. Music and reading books were my outlets, and I also gravitated towards soccer and swimming. It took a lot of church plays, skits and school concerts to get me comfortable up in front of people. Songwriting became an outlet as well, and I really liked expressing my feelings that way.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://epicproportionstour.com
• Phone: 3104351197
• Email: gkubanda@epicproportionstour.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/gabekubanda
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/gabekubanda
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/gabekubanda
• Other: http://youtube.com/gabekubanda

Image Credit:
Blushing Cactus Photography
Cory Barker Photos
Wicked Garden Media

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