David Gurtina, A Capella
A love of all things musical unites us here at Play MPE, and our team is bursting with music fans (and musicians!) who have a crossover interest in the worlds of technology and engineering. We also have a desire to help expand the way music is promoted and received, and propel the snails-pace evolution of the industry from the clunky physical formats of yesteryear towards a sleek digital world of vast proportions and booming creative potential.
For Account Executive David Gurtina, it was his music career and community that led him to us – ‘You know how it’s said, “It’s all about who you know”, in my case it really was. My girlfriend worked with someone whose partner worked at Play MPE. Having a background in Audio Engineering and being a musician myself, working in the music industry was always a dream of mine.’
Past Lives
‘Having previously worked for over 10 years in customer service industries, going to school for Audio Engineering & playing in a Post-Rock band for 12 years, I feel like I can really understand the various types of clients we work with. From knowing the process behind an album, the blood, sweat & tears that go into making a project and how excited you get when getting ready to finally release a project, I can understand where an indie artist is coming from since I have been one myself. All the way to working in the Luxury Retail industry and understanding the level of professionalism required when working with higher profile clients, although I’ve found that it’s a bit more fun and relaxed here, which has been amazing…I worked in the Luxury Retail industry for 7 years, which was an opportunity I took because I needed to pay the bills. Fashion can be a big way of showcasing your personality, but music to me was always how I really got to express my most vulnerable self.’
The Look
Of course Fashion has always been an important aspect of success for artists in the music industry. From a certain iconic meat-dress, to basically no-dress, to cutting edge couture or the current handful of anonymous masked DJs and country music stars – what you wear can say a lot about how you see yourself, and how you want other people to see you. And it can also be a reflection of musical taste – in the case of a beloved artist’s merch offerings – his fave: ‘My Daniel Caesar “Freudian” hoodie. I wear that ALL the time!’ And with that reference, there may not be an obvious connection between David’s first concert (from the dude who sang, ‘Kiss From A Rose’ -ahem- Seal) and the early influence of NSYNC. ‘I grew up in the 90’s and boy bands and Pop music were how I learned to harmonize haha’.
Harmony Amongst Chaos
Harmonizing with a team is a delicate balancing act, and something we all aim for at Play MPE. Just as important as choosing the right drummer or guitarist when you play in a band, choosing the right team members – and the right company for that matter – is paramount. ’Working with other people & teams that are full of passion about the music they are making or working with has been the most fun for me! Prior to the pandemic, being able to meet these people in person and pick up their energy was infectious…no pun intended!’
There is still a lot of passion going into the day-to-day while work-from-home has become a mainstay, so attitude is key, says Gurtina. ‘My motto is – love the life you live, live the life you love. I mean, it’s something we all hear growing up, but it’s become truer for me since coming onboard – if one door is closed, another one is likely open. Stay positive, stay focused, work hard and it will always pay off in the long run.
We can get a clearer picture from this recent success: ‘Any time I touch base with a client, and I get to see (via virtual call) their excitement, it reminds me exactly why our platform is such an amazing & integral tool for everyone from an indie artist, all the way up to our major label clients.’
So if you asked Gurtina why artists should promote with Play MPE he is adamant: ‘A client of mine said it best, “It’s the best bang for your buck to really test the waters at radio! You don’t have to break the bank and it helps get your music directly to the people within the industry that could potentially give it a chance.”
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