Inspiring Conversations with Darren Kramer of ElektroHornz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darren Kramer.

Hi Darren, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I was very fortunate to grow up in a loving musical family outside of Boulder CO in the 1970-the 80s! There was so much space and opportunity to learn from my parents and siblings, the music community, and the beautiful surroundings of nature. I started on the piano around age 3 with my mother’s direction and then began playing trombone in 3rd grade at the age of 8.

What’s interesting is at that time kids couldn’t be in a band until 4th grade, but my parents went to the school board to ask for an exception. I had a fabulous band director despite the small rural community and I thrived once I entered 7th grade at Erie Jr/Sr High School (grades 7-12 in one building) It was there that I had the rare opportunity to play alongside high school students in both the symphonic band and jazz band – a very beneficial forcing function to quickly learn and adapt from an elevated environment.

Music inspired me from a young age so I found myself compelled to learn and practice. It began to pay off immediately as I was selected for every honor band and All-State group for which I auditioned. The highlight was being selected for the prestigious McDonald’s All-American High School Jazz Band during my senior year. Only twenty musicians were chosen from the entire nation so this was a big honor and confirmation that drive, discipline, and goal-setting were worthwhile endeavors.

I graduated from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL in 1992 with a double major in Trombone Performance and Studio Music & Jazz. I immediately then began my professional freelance life. So much so, that I actually had to miss my graduation ceremony because I was on tour in Europe with the Duke Ellington Broadway Show “Sophisticated Ladies” directed by Mercer Ellington!

Several cruise ship contracts followed which allowed me to travel to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and all over Asia while practicing my trombone, piano, and composition skills on board. Since that time I’ve been very fortunate to then tour the world as a trombonist with diverse acts Rob Thomas/Matchbox Twenty (Pop/Rock), Tom Jones (R&B/Soul), The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (Swing Big Band Jazz).

I moved to NYC in 1998 and completed my debut cd “DKO” and launched my own music company DKO The Darren Kramer Organization. I have since produced 5 full-length CDs of original songs and I’m releasing a special “Best of DKO: 25 Years” in Dec 2022! I have also written over 400 arrangements, both original works, and cover songs, for a wide variety of clients of which nearly 100 are published and available for purchase thru my website DarrenKramer.com.

The pandemic affected everyone in some way and the result for me was a transformative one, both as a musician and a human being. After much reflection, I realized how important health and wellness are for leading a happy fulfilled life. So I began focusing all of my skills and passions on a music and wellness podcast called “Sonic Tonic Experience”. Every week I collaborated with world-class musicians to inspire people around the world to create music and promote wellness so we can all become a fundamental ingredient in the global recipe to heal the planet. SonicTonicExperience.com

My primary focus now in 2023 is ElektroHornz: A Super-Charged Fusion of Live Horns & Music Technology for an Ultramodern Multimedia Experience of Excellence & Innovation! This is a LIVE 4pc horn section with a laptop running Ableton Live software. This project is truly a dream come true and the culmination of a lifetime of performing, composing, and educating with audio & video production. ElektroHornz.com

An interesting sidetone is that my sister Dawn Kramer is a full-time professional trumpet player and has been a direct part of my entire musical career and continues to be a vital part of my live freelance gigs, DKO & ElektroHornz!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha – there is no smooth road for any of us on this planet! It’s all an adventure of enjoying the journey as we learn, share and collaborate in pursuit of becoming the best version of ourselves. Learning from our struggles and failures is the way to understand our purpose and strive to live up to our true potential.

I feel I’ve been very blessed my entire life by pursuing my passion for music. Looking back now I think the toughest period was about age 40-45 when a series of painful events occurred simultaneously…. struggling freelance musician life resulting in starting a new Complete Music Solutions for iPad business called “TheGigEasy”, ending a 12-yr relationship, back surgery, and the most painful of all… my mother’s death from dementia in 2012.

Fortunately, I learned a great deal from all of those experiences which have fueled my passion for life and music which I’m now sharing with the world through my inspiring show “Sonic Tonic Experience feat. ElektroHornz”!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
This is a timely interview as I’ve been in the depths of this diverse and important topic all year of discovering and defining my brand and purpose! As mentioned, I started my own music company DKO back in 1998 but decided just this year to focus it all on a niche brand called ElektroHornz – An ultramodern fusion of music & technology featuring a live horn section.

After spending much time over the past several years reflecting with gratitude for where I’ve been, and dreaming with intention about where I want to go, I’m 100% confident that my purpose right now is to create and share my creative gifts with people through the excellence and innovation of ElektroHornz.

I love creating something “new” when playing trombone, especially when performing fabulous horn arrangements with amazing musicians using modern technology. Hence my 10yr “Electric Trombone Ableton DJ” phase which has ultimately led to ElektroHornz.

My favorite things are creativity, innovation, playing trombones/keyboards, jazz improvisation, advanced harmony, composing/arranging, photography/videography, music technology, nature/animals, and travel. Here’s a list I’ve been assembling just this month:

ENTREPRENEUR
Producer, Composer, Arranger
Musical Director, Trombonist, Keyboardist, DJ
XO Brass Artist, Ableton Certified Trainer
Educator, Podcast Host, Audio Engineer
Videographer, Video Editor, Photographer
Environmentalist, Vegan

Put simply, I love health, music, and technology, and I believe they are all closely linked in this modern age. Therefore, I am embarking on a new focused journey to promote this concept to inspire through performance, collaboration, and education.

MUSIC/VIDEOS – ElektroHornz
PODCAST – Sonic Tonic Experience
COURSES – Sonic Tonic Academy

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
Yes! I’ve been learning so much recently about the brain and how our habitual thoughts and actions affect our daily lives. This concept fascinates me and I’ve read many books and watched many videos regarding this subject. I would recommend that anyone, at any age, begin to start journaling (with pen and paper) to discover their answers about life’s most powerful concepts.

Our most valuable assets are imagination, time, and health. You choose every thought that you allow into your mind What a person can conceive, and believe, they can achieve with a plan of committed action and learning

5 STEPS TO A BETTER ANYTHING!
Imagine – allow yourself the gift of limitless possibilities
Believe – truly feel the emotions of your ideal future self already fulfilled
Plan – make an achievable schedule with specific goals and deadlines you can stick to
Commit – execute disciplined daily habits of your plan
Learn – get feedback asap and objectively adjust your product and plan to level up and start the process again

— FEEL YOUR FUTURE —
Create A New Habit of
Telling A Better Story
Every Day to Everyone,
and Especially to Yourself,
from The Perspective of Your Ideal Future
with a focused Intention
To FEEL ALIVE & THRIVE
So you can truly Be Happy
Fulfilling your Life’s Purpose by
Contributing to the World

Some fabulous reading which has expanded my mind in past few years…
Atomic Habits – James Clear
Hell Yeah or No – Derek Sivers
Who Not How – Benjamin Hardy

Pricing:

• FREE Subscribe Podcast, YouTube & Newsletter
• $15 CDs
• $99/hr Private Lessons
• $99-$199 Online Courses
• $1-5K Book ElektroHornz Show

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elektrohornz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elektrohornz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elektrohornz
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/elektrohornz
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Elektrohornz
• Other: https://elektrohornz.com/podcast 

Image Credits
Charla Harvey