Danny Duran

My name is Daniel Duran — everybody calls me Danny. I'm 24 years old, born and raised in the High Desert. I love it here. Every time I leave, I get homesick, so I'm staying put.

I started around five or six years old on drums. I was that typical church kid — service would end, everybody's trying to talk and fellowship, and I'm just banging away on the drum set until somebody told me to stop. I was that kid until about 11 or 12, and then I shifted over to piano because my church really needed a player. I fell in love with it immediately — the theory, the feel, everything. That was about 12 years ago and I'm still deeper into piano now than ever. Still got a lot to learn, though.

I'd say my ear. Growing up in church, having a strong musical ear is the best thing you can have — because you always have that pastor or lead singer who goes completely off-script, and you have to follow them. You've got to vibe with them in the moment. So my ability to pick up a song on the fly, follow someone who's gone off-key, just feel where the music is going — that's definitely my strongest skill.

At gigs it's a little different because it depends on the environment. Some gigs are strictly follow-the-script — you play exactly what's written. Others want someone who can put their own style into it, be a soloist in a way. It just depends on what they're looking for. I can do both, and I always check with whoever hired me before I start adding my own flavor to things.

I like to bring a little bit of what I've grown into and layer it on top of what's already there. I've got certain moves I go to — gospel runs, jazz movements, certain scales — and I'll work them into church gigs or any performance. But only if the person who hired me is cool with it. I'm not trying to take over. I'm trying to add to what's already happening.

I'll share something personal. My dad is a pastor — he's the one who got me into music. He taught me the basics of piano and opened that door for me. He loves to sing during services, before and after his sermon, and those moments where I'm on keys backing him up are priceless to me. He can sing any song and I've got him covered. You don't know what the future holds, so I cherish every single one of those moments.

My number one — my GOAT — is Jesús Molina. The theory he pulls off, his hand technique, his fingering, where he finds these chords — it doesn't make sense until it does. He basically opened a gateway for pianists like us to reach for that level. He's the standard I'm working toward. I could name so many more, but Jesús Molina is the greatest influence I have right now.

Starting a band is a big one. When the timing is right, I want to put together a group and share our style — whatever direction that takes. I don't just want to be a solo musician or a hired gun. I want to leave something behind with my name on it. Short term, I'm working on releasing my first music album — maybe even a single first. Stay tuned for that.

My main keyboard is a Nord Stage 2, hammer action, 76 keys — it's right behind me. I love Nord. The simplicity, the sounds, the feel of those heavy keys. That real-key feeling is everything to me. And honestly, the red color doesn't hurt either. I've also recently gotten into software plugins like Omnisphere — the sounds you can pull from those are insane. Especially in a church setting where everyone's used to grand piano and B3 organ. You bring in these atmospheric textures and it just blows people's minds. Like, where are these angel sounds coming from?

Everything. You can't ask me to name one thing — it's just everything. I love almost every genre. I love country music — most people I know can't stand it, but I think it's really interesting if you actually pay attention. I love playing everything, trying everything. If it sounds good, that's a different story. But I'm always down to try.

Understanding how the other musicians think. Nobody likes a player who's trying to take over every part. I like to step back and understand the drummer's perspective, the guitarist's perspective, the bass player's approach. If there's a drum part coming up and I'm about to step all over it — that's not it. You've got to go with the flow. Everybody has their part in the music.

Just practice. Don't give up. You never know where life can take you. Years ago I never imagined I'd have the knowledge I have on piano today. I just wanted to be a drummer like every kid in church — but I realized that wasn't for me. Piano was where I was meant to be. So stay open, keep working, and trust the process.

I'm still young, and I plan to be a musician for as long as I possibly can. I'm an all-in kind of player — nothing sounds dumb to me. Let's try it. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, we turn the page and move on. You'll never hear me say "that sounds awful" or "that won't work." You call it, you name it — I'm there.