David Serotkin (pronounced Sur-AHT-kin) is a singer/songwriter based in the San Francisco Bay Area. An adventurer, teacher, mystic and aspiring Irish dancer, David is passionate about exploring the mystery and wonder of life - something that comes through in his music. His folk-pop sound is filled with catchy melodies, rich harmonies, insightful lyrics and groovin' rhythms. In these often crazy times, David wants to be an agent for sanity -- helping to bring lightness and depth to people's hearts and spirits.
In August 2005, David released his debut CD, None But This Time , under his own label, Waltzing Duck Records. None But This Time features 11 original songs ranging from introspective ballads to poppy love tunes. Testimonials include "Lyrical, poetic, soul-connecting…," and "David's music soothes the soul and moves the body!"
"Though my name's on the CD, I can't entirely take credit for it," says David. "It's true what so many artists say -- the real magic of music is the creativity and spirit that comes through us. Whoever sent this music is a much better songwriter than I am."
In Fall 2006, David was honored as Musical Artist of the Quarter by IntegrativeSpirituality.org . The non-profit organization recognized David's music as being "beautiful, inspiring and coming from and bringing others to a deeper spiritual connection...and that such music has a unique ability to uplift the human spirit and inspire wisdom and healing from within..."
In Dec 2005, the title track from None But This Time won a songwriting contest. The competition was held by California-based Indie Artists Alliance , who chose the song out of over 200 international entries.
David also volunteers performances for non-profit organizations, for which he was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle in Nov. 2005. In addition, he hosts and performs a monthly songwriter showcase benefit concert in Oakland called Music That Cooks , with proceeds going to feed the homeless.
For those interested in raw biographical .. David was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan on May 14th, 1979 at 7:20 am. He grew up in Lansing, started the piano at age 6 and guitar at 15. He got a BA in English from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, and then a Masters in Consciousness Studies from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, CA.
David's musical influences include: The Police, Sting, Ben Harper, Neil Young, Genesis, Phil Collins, The Verve Pipe, Steely Dan, Stone Temple Pilots, Cake, Pat Metheny Group, Hall & Oates, and classical masters like Debussy, Poulenc and Vaughan-Williams.
David lives in Richmond, CA with his many cacti. He is currently working on his next album, due out Spring 2008.
More at www.davidserotkin.com
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Alternate Bio (perhaps not as true, though certainly more entertaining...)
Raised by turtles until the age of 12, David Serotkin (pronounced "yo") started playing the guitar after falling into a volcano.
"It was really hot in there. When I got out, somehow I'd developed the ability to play multiple instruments - the guitar, the washboard, and kahluttering klobelsaw. You know, to this day I still don't have the faintest idea what that last one is, but hell if I ain't good at it..."
It was at this point that the aliens came down and recruited him for intergalactic space duty. After a long and illustrious career traveling the universe at light speed and fighting evil space monkeys, David returned to our blue planet for a quieter life. Just when he thought things would finally be calmer, his arch enemy, Sgt. Feather -- the evilest space monkey of them all -- came to earth to exact revenge. Just as Sgt. Feather was about to unleash an annihilating attack, David offered him some delectable goodies hot from the oven. So good they were in fact, that not even Sgt. Feather could stay angry. Thus once again, David's baking not only saved himself, but the entire earth from certain doom. Incidentally, Sgt. Feather is now a good friend.
When David began writing music, he made the startling discovery that every possible song had already been written by the Beatles. Ignoring this, as every other songwriter learns to do, David penned early hits such as "What's the Temperature of Your Love?" "Give Me Another Sack of Wheat," and "Three Things That Rhyme with Three." David began to rapidly ascend the charts - clearly his star was on the rise.
David made a bold move at this point, choosing to put the music on hold while he pursued several alternate paths, each more impressive than the last. He became a Bow and Arrow doctor (treating thousands of patients with his combination of medicine and archery), spent several years as a food architect (personally designing the wildly popular octagonal tortilla chip), and climbed to the top of two careers simultaneously, as a professional wrestler-turned author.
It is only now that David has returned to his musical roots. "It is only now that I am returning to my musical roots," said David. Where things will lead from here, we shall have to wait and see!
More at www.davidserotkin.com