George Dyer: Opera Singer With A Massive Talent

George Dyer Joins Us On The Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots Podcast


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Introducing George Dyer

George Dyer is todays guest on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots Podcast.

He is one of those guests that might seem easy to pigeonhole when you first look at him.

Show Highlights

During the episode we discussed such weighty topics with George Dyer such as:

How the definition of “Redneck” came about, and why it is a description which George wears as a badge of honour.

How he left a solid career as a sales rep to go for his dream in his life, even though his Mother in Law didn’t quite have the belief in him that she could have done.

How he never set a timescale to achieve his success, as he knew it would be evident if it was not going to be occurring, so he would know the time was up.

How you need to forget perfection and look at finding the relaxation that will get you as close as possible to your top standard.

And lastly…..

You will hear the most perfect Elmer Fudd impression that you are ever likely to hear.

How To Connect With George Dyer

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Return To The Top Of George Dyer

If you enjoyed this episode with George Dyer why not check out other inspirational musicians like Elizabeth Tryon,  D Krust Danny Flood, and the amazing Nina Soderquist

You can also check our extensive podcast archive by clicking here – enjoy

Full Transcription Of George Dyer Interview

David Ralph [0:00]
Yes, Hello there, and welcome to today’s episode of weekend rewind. Yes, this is when we put our hands back into the Join Up Dots boat, swirling around a bit and find an episode that maybe it’s got lost in the midst of time. And this is in response to the amount of requests we get from people who say, David, with all the episodes you’ve released, where should we start? Well, it’s very hard to find a place so we’re just going to randomly pick one and this is today’s episode, enjoy.

Intro [0:33]
When we’re young that we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling in Join Up Dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK David Ralph.

David Ralph [0:58]
Yes, hello there everybody and Welcome to another episode of Join Up Dots. We’re getting close to the 300 now, but this is Episode 294. And this is one of those episodes but I, I honestly don’t know much about it is not a talent a skill that I am really fluent in. Our guest certainly is. And he is one of those guests that might seem easy to pigeonhole when you first look at him, but once you start digging down, you realise that there’s so much more to him but most other artists operating within this creative area, and native of Virginia and a devoted family man, he first started making the world sit up and take notice of him when he jumped into the music world in 1996, and made his professional debut to rave reviews with the New York City Opera as rape rack store in HMS pinafore. And although he certainly has got a set of pipes on him that you can belt out a huge opera numbers that you might be aware of, or the unusually allows his voice to demonstrate many other types of music from pop to blaze, they music halls to the Rat Pack. He believes that the music is only half of what he brings to the audience is the whole show that sets him apart from the stand in one spot and belt out the song type of performers. And now alongside his family, who are also amazing singers, he’s taking his talent to the world. He was named Best Male Recording Artist of the Year in 2001 2004 and 2006, buddy FCM a, and has released three solo recordings on the shadow mountain label, wondrous love event sings my soul and a new song, all of which had received numerous accolades and awards, including several pearl award. So what is it about himself but unlike so many people would class family is the thing that stops their dreams, made him willing to give it a go. And has he been surprised at how brutal the music industry is. Now he’s been established in its world. Well, let’s find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Mr. George Dyer. How are you George?

George Dyer [2:55]
Wonderful, David, how are you? Thank you for having me. He is lovely to have you on the show.

David Ralph [2:59]
And I’ll be honest, a little bit jealous. you’re recording from Florida. I’m in a freezing cold London and you are laying on a beach with a couple of Margarita is in your hands is probably 90 degrees. A couple of lovely ladies bouncing past year. Is that the image? That’s right.

George Dyer [3:16]
Well, that’s not quite damage. It’s fairly early here. But it is beautiful. I’m looking out over the Gulf of Mexico and it’s a beautiful morning here and the dg lineback

David Ralph [3:30]
that sort of open your curtain and see a different view because obviously, being in the music world you are pretty much forced to take your music to the world. So do you like that when you come out of a hotel room and go Oh, yes, I’m in Florida today.

George Dyer [3:45]
I do you know, I that’s one of the I think the perks of travel. A lot of people complain about travel. And and there are, you know, living out of a suitcase but I love when I can wake up And go out especially places like here and beautiful Florida here, right on the coast. When I was performing at Hawaii, New York City, you know, I just love the feel and the vibe of every place that I go to visit because every place you go, I don’t care where it is, and United States over in Europe I have found something just wonderful and positive about every place that I go to. And I try to, I try to really immerse myself in the local culture too. So what I can i think that that for me as an artist and as an individual, that helps me to grow and and connect better to those people that I’ll be performing to.

David Ralph [4:44]
So So do you sort of learn the language phonetically, whatever. So you can say a few words in every place you go. I remember seeing Phil Collins remember Phil Collins, your drummer many years ago, and he always used to have it written phonetically. He couldn’t speak a word of it, but at least he connected him to the Audience when he was up on stage,

George Dyer [5:02]
I would you know, I’m proficient in a lot of different languages because by virtue of just having to sing in so many different languages when I do my offers is so I can get a good flavour but yeah, always try to learn a little bit, even when I was in Hawaii where they they speak English there but I always tried to to learn some of the local, the Hawaiian language so but it would always make them smile, because everybody goes up and goes, Hey, Aloha. I mean, that’s universal law. But when you can say mahalo Nui law, which means Thank you very much. When you can say other things, then it kind of endears you to them to that you care enough to to dig a little deeper and to know them and appreciate their culture and their language a little bit better. Did that uh, when I was in Poland singing and, and wherever I went, I always tried to learn A few phrases just like Phil Collins did to, to communicate a little bit better with them.

David Ralph [6:07]
Now Now you’ve opened the door to a question that I wasn’t going to ask you later. But that’s the beauty of this show. We can go back and forth, but my understanding of opera and it literally Pavarotti, Nessun Dorma and a few others, I thought it was all Italian but you say that you learn different languages for opera. So is there different languages that do opera as well other than the the, the Italians?

George Dyer [6:30]
Oh, absolutely. You know, most people are used to the when they think of opera, they think of the, you know that it’s Italian. It’s not or a lot of times we get the image of brunhilde from the ring cycle by Wagner and that German there have been some, the, the general repertoire is going to be their French, Italian, or German, of which I’ve sung the most in. But I’ve also sung in Spanish. Their Spanish says whalers are operas there. I’ve sung in a Russian, Eugene on Yagan, beautiful language to sing and a lot of people wouldn’t think that but Russian is a beautiful language to sing in. Latin, which, that’s more oratory. I’ve never seen a Latin opera. But they’re a wonderful, beautiful music written and of course, every language but when it comes to opera, you’ve got it, it’s much more varied than most people would, would understand or give it credit for.

David Ralph [7:34]
So so if we took you right back in time to the young George Daya, your five year old in your running around, what were you surrounded by this type of music did your parents used to put the records on and blast it out? Or was it something that has kind of found you as you progressed through?

George Dyer [7:52]
Yeah, it’s the ladder it absolutely found me and it and I went kicking and screaming I’ll tell you how that all happened. I grew up, as you had mentioned earlier at the beginning of the show, in Virginia to Blue Ridge Mountains of Roanoke, Virginia. And that’s all country. And I mean, I grew up a country boy, we we say redneck here in the States, and a lot of people think that’s a derogatory term. I wear it as a badge of honour. I thought it was a term

David Ralph [8:23]
that you shouldn’t say,

George Dyer [8:24]
No, no, not at all. Well, it depends on how you use it. You know, and I think that for me, you know, red neck, because what it is it represents the, the Redneck of the farm boy, the farm man who’s been out working all day in the hot sun labouring to support his family and provide a living and, and so it represents I think the best of what people are, and and can have which is have a desire to to work hard, and and make something of yourself And being involved in nature in so many different ways, whether you’re you’re milking cows or or planting or weeding or pull gathering in your crops, whatever that may be. And so I I find that the term redneck even though a lot of people think because you know, a lot of these country folk they don’t sometimes the you don’t get a lot of schooling as they say. But but they my grandfather used to use a term and he was he was one that they’ve got very minimal schooling but he was one of the most hardest working man I ever knew. And and I lived with him for a while for some years growing up. But he said he used to make fun he go George, we buy your books and buy your books and you learn more and more about less and less. And that meant there’s there’s book learning, there’s knowledge and understanding, but there’s also common sense and, and you need to have a good dose of both to be successful in life and sometimes when you’re sitting too interested in just gaining knowledge and not applying it. You don’t really sometimes get a lot of common sense that goes with it. So you need both of it. But yeah, so I grew up in that type of an attitude and atmosphere my parents. They my mother, beautiful singing voice, God given talent. My father very much into music. He was a radio disc jockey. And my dad, my mother grew up in the mountains. My dad grew up in the city and he was more. He was more worldly when it came to things like that. And my mother credits him with with really opening her eyes and introducing her to a lot of the wonderful worldly aspects. But I never grew up I grew up listening to their music, but never It was never opera or classical music. It was the music of the day. The Herb Alpert and Tijuana brass The Beatles

and the carpenters was a carpenter’s man.

David Ralph [11:01]
Can I can I can I ask you, George? How old are you? How old are you? I’m 51. You’re 51 am I’m 44. So we’re kind of in the 70s generation. Yeah, right. But I remember Yeah, my mom was carpenters. And so if I had a competence now it takes me back big time. Except for that interplanetary song that I sang. Remember that one dreadful song? That was what were they? really something? Yeah, I do love it. Yeah. What is that about? And then my dad was Elvis. And he used to give us all these old records, which which would be of worth a fortune now, but as kids, you didn’t really respect them. And we had one of those record players that this is a conversation only for you, me, George and probably half my listeners haven’t got a clue what we’re talking about with CDs and stuff. But you could call up the record and it would drop and then one would play him and the next one would drop after about you remember all that?

George Dyer [11:53]
I do. Yeah. That was the precursor to to programming your your your lineup on your iPad. You know what’s going to play next year your music file? But yeah I love that drop down I always hate it when you got to skip and you’d have to go and fix it because it would drive you crazy as it

David Ralph [12:11]
was in music in those days because you know used to pick up your vinyl by the edges yeah used to blow it and put it down I remember you know my brother used to put he’s on the carpet and it used to drive me mad I put it back in the sleeve you know do you think there was more than enough to it now to Ben Ben is now we basically MP breeze and you’ve got nothing tangible to hold on to.

George Dyer [12:34]
Very possibly so I think there was definitely a lot more respect because you did you had to care for your your vinyls, otherwise they would they could easily get scratched up and then it would be ruined and you’d have to at least that that’s section of the vinyl and then you’d have to you know, and hopefully it wasn’t on your favourite song. But yeah, I think that there was a more of a tactile appreciation and care for for music video. And then there is now everything’s digital and it’s instantaneous. And I think that people appreciate it. I just don’t think that there’s as you’re saying and describing I don’t think there’s quite that love, that tactile love and appreciation that we had.

David Ralph [13:14]
So you you would even a real gift when you really that you grew up in an environment where hustle and back to basics, work and ethic was part of the fabric of where you were growing up you actually saw but it took time it took effort to nurture the field and grow something where nowadays I think there is an overnight success kind of lottery mentality, but you could see it right from grassroots.

George Dyer [13:41]
Yes, I could. And, and I think that that’s really served me well. to, to know that you’ve got to work hard, no matter what you’re doing. And, and, and make sure that that you’re that you’re watering your your talent and your gift. and nurturing it in every possible way. So yeah, I think that that’s been a real blessing for me as I’ve as I’ve grown up and gone into a career field, at least an angle of a career field that I never thought that I would get into.

David Ralph [14:15]
But let’s get you to that point because you were a sales rep. And you were in basically in a corporate gig where you somebody went every time you went to the photocopier and you lifted the up and the light hit you. You You felt inspired, why, and how did you go from that to where you are now?

George Dyer [14:35]
Well, actually kind of helped me get into my singing career. I had I knew that growing up as a small child, I had a great love for music and wanted to pursue that. I just didn’t know I didn’t know what was best for me I guess and, and let me back up just a little bit before I get to the the because it’ll Make it all fit together how the selling copiers helped me kind of get my career started. I grew up in Virginia, but then moved to to Utah when I was 20, almost 22 years old. I had moved out there my parents had gotten divorced when I was about 12. And my dad moved to Utah and my mother and sisters, my two older sisters, we stayed in Virginia, I wouldn’t live with my grandparents. And so anyway, I had all these different influences throughout my life growing up good, and especially when I was living up in the mountains with my grandparents, but I served a mission for my church down in Argentina, which really helped as well because I gained an understanding of how to learn another language. But I use my singing my voice a lot. Down there, the this people in Central and South America, they love those Latin people, they love music. And they loved that I could sing and asked me to sing as much as possible. And so I sang all the time down in South America. So I knew that I in that experience really helped motivate me to, to pursue music when I got home to see that the wonderful, positive influence that music can have on people. And so I went to school a little bit in Virginia, and then I moved out to Utah, and started voice lessons. And, and at that first voice lesson this and I’d never had a voice lesson up until that time, like I said, I was about 22 when I took my first lesson, and my voice teacher heard something in my voice that I never would have heard she asked me what I wanted to do, what type of music I want to pursue and I said well, I grew up on country music and the carpenters and you know, Barry Manilow and that type of contemporary music and and that’s kind of music I like to sing I love country because of the greatest stories that country singers tell the Country Music tells. And she just about had a connection. And she said, Oh no, not country. She was Have you ever thought about singing classical music or opera? And I said, Oh, I mean, I had zero experience except for and you’ll remember this to David. Do you remember those great Looney Tunes cartoon? Yeah. And you know, when Elmer Fudd was, you know, did the offer the vogner opera, you know, killed the wabbit kill the wabbit? You know

David Ralph [17:32]
that is a good impression that your singing career stops that is a career for you, sir.

George Dyer [17:39]
At Thank you, thank you. I’ve been told that.

But, but that was my really my only exposure to the opera. I thought it was watching Luna and I really didn’t have any desire to pursue classical music. She was relentless and her her drive and desire for me to do it. So she one day just entered me in a vocal competition. And, and paid my entrance fee and everything and I had to do it. So I’m what she wrote,

David Ralph [18:05]
when you look back on it now was she right to push you back? Could she see something but it’s taken a while for you to actually see yourself

George Dyer [18:13]
100% right. And and you know what, that’s wonderful when you have another perspective and that taught me another lesson is to trust other people’s perspectives concerning you, especially when they’ve got your best interests at heart and she certainly did and she she heard said something and so she would not take no for an answer. I mean, it literally took her six months. And she finally just forced me to study opera just to open my my, my heart and everything to the possibilities and and once I did I remember going to that that lesson after about six months and she informed me that I was doing this this competition, and that to do it I had to sing an operatic and learn an operatic Aria and an art song. And I was not happy but she put on an album of great tenor by Greg tenors was the title. And I was instantly I mean it was just like it was an epiphany for me and I knew that from that moment on that was the type of music and I really wanted to immerse myself in and, and study because I want it to either what there were two reasons one if I could learn to sing and sound like those amazing tenors that I was listening to, and to if I could bring to life and and stir the emotions within other people that were being stirred in me as I listened to these, these masterful Arias, I mean, that’s that, for me was the pinnacle of my voice and tell him what I wanted to do with So from then on, it was just like a horse to water. I just devoured everything I could and, and in the meantime, about probably a year and a half after that, I ended up meeting my wife, Clarice, we got married. We moved from Provo, Utah up to Salt Lake City, and I began working it at Howard Johnson. Hotel as a front desk clerk, and I knew I wanted to pursue my music and I had some opportunities, but it was almost impossible to do that. And, and still work as actually became the front office manager. And so I mean, I was working 60 hours a week and I want it to pursue music. And so the opportunity came up for me to become a sales representative which opened up and freed up a lot more of my time because I could set my schedule to a certain extent and it gave my evenings free which I needed to to be able to join the Utah opera and and so basically being a going and changing careers and since working as a copier, and fax sales rep is what helped open the door for me to pursue my music because it allowed me to join the Utah Opera Chorus. And then from there, doors just started opening up for me,

David Ralph [20:58]
but let’s, let’s play some words. Now, I really emphasise this point of our conversation. And this is about really finding the thing you want to do, but making sure that you end up doing it. This is Jim Carrey.

Jim Carrey [21:10]
My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him. And so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. And when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job. And our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.

David Ralph [21:37]
Now, you obviously have made a go at it, and you’re doing very well for yourself. But when you start these things, it’s not a given. It’s not given. So now do you buy into those words that Jim Carrey says Do you think that people should just take a chance on doing the thing that they love?

George Dyer [21:55]
It I do, I am a huge proponent and interesting side Jim Carrey is one of my all time favourite comedians and and I love the fact I mean it How sad would it be if we did not have you know his craft his art his talent there in front of us to be able to enjoy and movies and the comedies that he’s done? And so yeah, I mean that that should inspire everybody those words he just said that if you have a if you have a gift and and an equal drive that you absolutely owe it to, to yourself and I think to to those around you and possibly even to the world to to go for it to throw, I don’t say caution to the wind but sometimes you have to you have to take that leap of faith and and just go for it. And I’m a firm believer that I don’t love people. You know, I’m a very religious man and I know that God’s involved in my life. I know other people look at it differently that the universe you know that what you send out comes back to you and I and I absolutely believe in that as well. But I think that, that there’s a plan for everybody and we should find out what that is. And usually it’s it’s already inside of us we already kind of innately know what we love and and we also know what we’re if we’re good at it or not. And I think we owe it to ourselves and as I said to to those around us into the world to, to really go for it and follow your dreams because, you know, the worst thing to end your life with is to have it full of regrets that you didn’t follow your heart and follow your dreams. But but in the introduction,

David Ralph [23:37]
I said, but unlike so many people who were the class family is the thing that stops at dreams. You may that just part of who you are, you’ve kind of brought that into your life. Were you surrounded by naysayers at that time when you were sending the photocopiers and you probably said to the people next year, I’m gonna become an opera singer about most of them when you close your eyes. God yeah no problem. We’ll see you in next year. You know you might sing a Christmas party or karaoke better. Were you surrounded by those people? How did you manage to transition from where people don’t believe in you at the beginning to where it all starts coming together?

George Dyer [24:14]
Yeah, sure any are and and i think that that’s probably a positive that you have the naysayers because they motivate you to prove them wrong. And I can even my wife, I don’t want to say she was a naysayer, she believed in me to believe in my talent. But I think that while I was doing it, you know, I mean, there were so many things going on. The money wasn’t coming in. I was I was a very successful copier salesman and and so when I went from having this consistent income, and it was pretty good to where it was going to be living from month to month, paycheck to paycheck, and we didn’t know when the next paycheck possibly could be coming through when I first started. That was that was kind of tough for her To, to swallow. And I mean, even her mother told her she was on the phone. She told me this years later, she was talking. She was complaining about it, but probably just voicing your concerns about, you know, how we’re barely surviving and, and her mother said, well give him a year. This is when I first started full time and dove in and I was singing with New York City Opera and I was travelling back and forth from Utah to to New York and spending months at a time in New York. And she would her mother just said, Just give it time and he’ll get it out of the system. You know, you gotta give him a chance to do it and then he’ll come around or you know, whatever, and get a quote real job. And I laugh at that now but but yeah, I mean, people around you’re gonna don’t they will be the naysayers, some sincere and some just because they’re just haters, as they say they they almost don’t want you to succeed. But I I like having that as motivational force to keep me working harder, make me work harder to make sure that my dreams will come to fruition.

David Ralph [26:10]
So what was in your head George, and in a moment, I’m going to play one of your songs. It’s called the prayer and is your new song album because it is so obvious that you have got a talent, big, big, big talent. But talent sometimes only takes you so far. And one of the things that holds people back is that when I start off on anything, I think I was the same on this. You go, right? Okay, I’m gonna work really hard at this and six months, I would have done it. Six months comes and goes and you sort of haven’t moved on a bit and then you start to think, Okay, give it a year. So how long did you actually have in your head mentally, but you would keep going until you said to your wife, oh, I gave it a go and it hasn’t quite worked.

George Dyer [26:55]
Yeah, I’m not sure that I ever had that. I think in the Back in my mind that probably was there saying, you know, what if I can’t make it, and I didn’t set a time period for myself, I just knew that, that if it wasn’t going to happen, that it would become painfully obvious, and I would need to move on, or at least find another strategy or do something. But I never really set a timetable to, quote, make it big. My desire and my goal was as long as I could sustain myself and provide a comfortable living for my family, then that I will do it as for as long as I could, and then when that well dried up, you know, I would with the people that I’ve met and the skills that I have, I would move on to something else, whether it was and I’ve kind of transitioned in certain ways, you know, you you start supplementing your income by doing, like teaching voice.

David Ralph [27:56]
So I don’t think

George Dyer [27:58]
Exactly, so I really never gave myself a timetable for success I I think others you know may have but I never did. I just I just knew I knew I would know when it was time to to hang it up. Hopefully that that time is still many years down the road I’m sure it is and with a some like the prayer, I’m gonna play it now you can see you got yours. This is the prayer

David Ralph [29:31]
Now I was gonna turn that off a little bit earlier but the beauty of fat is you don’t know when to turn it off. It kind of goes and goes again it builds and the passion but listening to it that time and I’ve listened to it a few times this week because knowing that you were coming on the show, I’d heard it as a foreign language and then it suddenly dawned on me but the lady was singing English over it. What? How does that come about?

George Dyer [29:58]
Well, that they arranged The song it’s it’s a beautiful beautiful arrangement with actually kind of two different styles mixed in there you’ve got almost a pop style doing the English and then you get the more classical and doing the the Italian and then of course they come together and I think that’s the genius of that song. The prayer is that you’ve got and I think it’s what makes it powerful is that it is speaks couple of different languages literally. And and also musically you’ve got kind of a pop feel with the, in this arrangement, the girl singing the the English and then myself singing the Italian, but they blend so beautifully together and and i think that that’s the real genius of that song is that it pulls it off beautifully even though you’re mixing these two styles.

David Ralph [30:52]
He’s astonishing though, isn’t it? I played a piano and sometimes I write little songs and little ditties and stuff It always amazes me but I’ve written something new with the only that many notes how they can keep on making new songs, new songs, new songs is astonishing, really, isn’t it with music?

George Dyer [31:11]
it? It really is. I mean, I think about that all the time is I listened to the new songs that are coming out today and, and the the real talent that people find in in creating, as you said, the same notes and and how you can just have this in this infinite possibility of songs by just changing up rhythms and changing the the combinations the the difference between the melodic line and the chord progressions it’s, it’s really amazing and it’s great to know that you know, there’s unlimited potential out there for music and where it can take and I think that there’s, there’s music we haven’t even discovered yet that is going to reveal itself sometime hopefully in the not too distant future, but I think new things are coming out all the time. And I think that the generations now and that are coming up of singers and musicians, they’re just becoming, I mean, it’s astounding the talent that they have and the ability they have to create music and what they can create

David Ralph [32:19]
some excitement. Well, you should be excited because you’ve got so much going on. And you can literally go in different directions, which, to me, it seems unusual. I was watching your show. on one of the links. I’ve watched quite a lot of your stuff, to be honest. And I was very inspired by the way that your daughters and your son get up and they it really is a show. But what was interesting for me from your point of view was that your voice can cope with so many different types of songs. Is that something that you’ve worked on as well? Or is that just something that has naturally come to you but you can bang out a Dean Martin song as well as you can? a possibility one

George Dyer [32:58]
I think it’s a little bit of Both of that, you know, like I said, I didn’t grow up wanting to be an opera singer I grew up listening to, to that kind of music and and I’m a I guess you could say I’m a mimic of sorts, I would I would try to do a song I want to do it in the manner that it really inspired me to you know, to fall in love with that song. So when I was singing Dean Martin and I used to actually is as a little little boy, and you’re going to go back to five years old. My eyes to put on The Ed Sullivan Show do remember that? I’d get up and I would do imitations of, of course Ed Sullivan and my family when we ever had gatherings or friends over they’d always kind of trot me out is you know the performing monkey but I loved it you know, and I would do do Elvis and Gomer Pyle, you know Dolly and and all its so I not I knew I’d loved the different aspects of voice I love singing but also love to try and sound like other people and mimic their their voice, the cadence, their style. And so I think that because of that, I’m able to embed your work at it because you want to be as true and as real to each individual voice and personality. But I that’s why I think I’m able to transverse all of these different musical styles and pull them off. You know, the last thing I want to do is be a parody of myself of an opera singer, who’s singing non opera music but it still sounds like an opera singer singing you know, a pop song or or a boo boo, ya know?

David Ralph [34:34]
Yeah, well, that’s a key point, George because with all these famous singers, you know, I like a karaoke. If it’s a karaoke machine, I’m up there doing it, but literally will always end up sounding like the person that I’m trying to do. So if it’s like an Elvis when your voice just naturally goes by that, how do I become George Dyer? But doesn’t just sound like all the other people that you might be doing the songs

George Dyer [35:00]
Well, I think there’s always a certain element of that, because I don’t always try to sound like them unless I’m actually trying to do I actually mimic them and actually say, Well, this is I don’t try to actually sound like Dean Martin but I try to bring in that style that that cool Rat Pack is is you know, I guess you could describe it style that that they would bring in and Buble a to you know, I don’t try to sound like Michael Bay when I do blame number I don’t try to sound like Josh Groban. Because I think that that as an artist, you have to absolutely be true to yourself, you you’re inspired by the great talent of, of the people that inspire you that you listen to, but then you and this is what I try to tell my voice students when I teach is, you know, love your voice. It’s unique. There’s nothing like it out there in the universe. So you know, use it, you know, and and put your style in with the style that you’re doing. So if you’re going to do a pop song or an opera Aria, or a classic, you know, Elvis or whatever, you know, it’s still you but you know, bring that style to life with with who you are. So there’s always a little bit of you in that unless I’m actually trying to

actually sound like that person.

David Ralph [36:19]
But that’s a key part to life isn’t it and that’s where we touch on it literally every single episode van to really enjoy yourself really become successful. You’ve got to be authentic to yourself and you’ve got to really forget about what other people have done. You can take all the best bits that they’ve done, but right Mike Ngf own thing and once you do that, life becomes somewhat easier somehow you start cooking on gas because you’re not stretching yourself to perform as somebody else.

George Dyer [36:50]
Right and and you want to make a mark of a you know, find your place create your place in in this case, in the musical world you know, you don’t want people to say who is that only sounds just like this versus, you know, when you saying I want people to say oh, that’s George Dyer, you know and you recognise that I you know, because you do you hear voices you go. I know who that is. I know who that is. That’s Katy Perry. That’s Dean Martin. That’s Bobby Darin. That’s, you know, Josh Groban. I want people to say Wow, you did that Groban number as good as Josh Groban or better I want to I want to put my own style into a song that will recall that the the memory of I love this song but I also want to put my own personality into it where people so I love how you sing that song.

David Ralph [37:42]
But But half the great voices disappeared some what are the when you when you look back at somebody, I always been a classic one is like watched you you hear the first note from Bob Stewart. You know, it’s Rod Stewart. There’s no getting away from it. But more often than not, maybe it’s my age, George I don’t know. Someone’s Come on the radio and I say to my kids, that’s Ada swift and I go No, it’s not as Meghan Trainor. Oh, wait, sounds like Taylor Swift? Did you think that the real distinctive voices have somehow been produced out somewhat and that they’re all very much the same? For example, if you listen to the carpenters once again, they sound like the carpenters. But nowadays, I find that a lot of the music sounds the same with different voices on the top.

George Dyer [38:22]
Yeah, and that’s, I think that’s the, I think, a danger that when you have digital technology that you can go in and you can, you can fix, you know, bad pitches. You can, you know, I call it studio magic where you can fix all kinds of things and manipulate the sound, whether it’s the voice or the instrumentation, which I think is fascinating, the the technology and it’s just going to get better and better. I think that you have to be very careful about losing the purity of the creation of, of music, and I think it speaks to what you’re talking about is is that the individual when we create something within ourselves and speaking specifically about music and voice singing, that it’s, that’s you and I mean, that’s, that’s part of your, your everything about your DNA, you’re creating a vibration that is unique in the universe to just you and your vocal cords and sending it out there. And if you manipulate something too much to get a certain sound, then you are you’re going to lose some of that individuality. You know, good examples is the Beatles and I guess early records from like the 30s 40s 50s even 60s were with there was a little bit of something that was off that was okay. That was you know, that was that was kind of like, that’s who they were, instead of being perfect. And nobody’s perfect. I think it’s good that we, that we may have a flaw like for example, Rod Stewart, not the most beautiful voice but it’s so unique and and there’s something about his personality that comes through when he’s voice and and his stage presence that draws you to him that made him successful and so

David Ralph [40:07]
on you likely to be perfection now, I imagine on that first night when you’re standing on the HMS pinafore, you aiming to hit every single know perfectly Are you bit more relaxed by it now?

George Dyer [40:21]
Well, you know, I think that we should strive for perfection but but, but perfect as far as we can be, you know, there’s never a quote perfect show and you have a live performance if it’s truly 100% live and once again that’s that’s the beauty of a live performance is that it’s not going to be perfect, you know, and it’s, it’s a reflection of life is that life isn’t perfect, we we make mistakes, we try to do the best that we can and we don’t you know, when we make a mistake, hey, we just keep on going and, and we as listeners, we say Hey, that was a mistake. Hey, that makes me feel better about myself that I’m not perfect and they’re not Perfect and here’s this you know, the superstar that that’s allotted and loved and, and I think that there’s something very beautiful in in, in understanding it and being imperfect. But we don’t want to strive for imperfection you understand what I’m, you know

David Ralph [41:13]
exactly what you’re saying. But I think that comes with confidence, doesn’t it? But you can go, oh, okay, I was slightly off on that night, but tomorrow, it’s gonna be a better one. But on that first night, you’re your professional debut and you’re standing there and the curtains come across. That must have been the last for being flexible was the last four in your mind? You must have thought this is my chance.

George Dyer [41:35]
Yes, yeah. You want to make a big splash. You want to you want to be as perfect as you absolutely can.

David Ralph [41:41]
So yeah, like was that a kid that does, looking back does that actually tighten you up? Does that suppress you somewhat? Are you are you more outward to belt them out by being relaxed?

George Dyer [41:53]
Yeah, you’ve got to be relaxed to have I think to reach your full potential in that moment. Because tension is an enemy to I mean, that would it because something’s creating that tension it whether it’s fear of failure or fear of not pleasing other people, whatever it may be, and you have to have that certain amount of confidence, I tell people all the time that you have to have a pretty big ego, to be a performer, you just need to temper it with, you know, with humanity, you know, because you do, you have to have a certain amount of confidence to know that when you go out there, you’re going to give it your best and it’s, and it’s good enough and people are gonna, you know, you hope that people love you, but you have to know that, that you’re good enough. That’s why you’re there and, and you can, you can be overcome by your fears, and that self doubt so you have to kind of throw that’s a moment you throw caution to the wind and just and throw fear with it. And just give everything you got and and let the chips fall where they may.

David Ralph [42:54]
He’s at somebody really does hold back our listeners now the whole vibe of the show. is to inspire the people out there with an idea for a business or an idea to become the next Whitney Houston or the idea of something, but they’re just not giving it a go because something is holding them back is the thing to really say. Just give it a go try your hardest. And if it doesn’t work, at least, you know, would that be too simple?

George Dyer [43:23]
You can get it. I think that that’s pretty much how it is. You know? There’s so many variables that apply to that, but that’s absolutely right. Go for it. Give everything you got, don’t leave anything on the table. And don’t let the fear of failure the fear of other people not accepting you hold you back. Because I think that that’s the biggest fear that most people have and what holds people back is failure or that fear of not being accepted because When you’re doing something, whether it’s singing or are doing art, whatever it is, whatever you want to do, you want people to like you they want you want people to accept what you’re doing, because this is you at your core. This is real. This is you being naked, standing naked in front of people. I like to describe it, when you’re just letting yourself go because you’re exposing who you are. And we’re all afraid that we’re not going to be accepted. But and you’ve got to just get rid of that fear. You know, I say I tell people that use fear of failure as a motivation to make you work harder to be better at what you do, but never let it hold you back. Don’t let your fear of acceptance by other people because some people are just like I said, They’re called the haters that don’t want to see anybody succeed in what they do because for them, it diminishes them. I don’t understand it psychology but Don’t Don’t worry about that have enough self belief and self love to go for it. So caution to the wind, as we say, let the chips fall. And if it doesn’t happen for whatever reason, maybe doesn’t mean that you aren’t good enough, just but maybe it just wasn’t meant to be if it doesn’t happen, then you will never have that regret, you can go to your grave saying, You know what, I gave it my best. It didn’t happen. And now there’s there must be a different path for me that I need to follow.

David Ralph [45:28]
But I think the problem is like you had, it’s not the people and I’m doing that Coty business with my fingers. It’s the people who are actually in your family. It’s like your mother in law going out just let him do it for a year and here come back. It’s the people that are closest to us come closest to our listeners who actually want to protect you and want to make sure that you make the right decisions. Were the ones that actually hold back the dream somehow and it’s a crying shame because push comes to shove they love you more than anyone but because they Going up you so much I don’t want to see you disappointed so they want you to be linguistic and go into a job, but you won’t be end up crying at the end of the day.

George Dyer [46:09]
Right? Right. Because you know, those that love us the most want to protect us the most. But you know what I mean that’s that’s a thing of life and as a parent that I’ve learned is that you know, as a parent, you just want to protect your kids from any hurt any harm, but you know, what, if they don’t hurt if they don’t, you know, fall down the you’ve got to learn the lessons of life and it’s going to hurt, you’re gonna fall down, metaphorically speaking and quite literally speaking, and you’re gonna fail. But you know, I love you remember that? There’s a Star Trek, and I’m a big movie buff, and I’m inspired by a movie where there was this this I guess you call this a Christ character that was he was getting people to his fold and his following. He had this power to be able to take away their pain. We all have Like a pain or something, and and even Spock you know, and he’s saying Jim let him take away your pain and he said I don’t want him to take away my pain I need my pain because my pain is what made me who I am today. And and those are that’s a great line and because it is her experiences in life good and especially the bad experiences are what make us who we are today where where we are today and the the pain and the experiences both good and bad because we get it all in from you know, for the rest of our lives. It doesn’t end at this point. You know, it’s going to make us who we are, it develops us in and in some people rise to the occasion, others not so much but but we need that we need to have our our uncomfortable moments in life because it It motivates us It makes us it creates who we are as a

David Ralph [47:59]
person perfect segue to the theme of the show. And these are the words that Steve Jobs said many years ago now, but it was relevant today, as they were back in 2005. This is Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs [48:10]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.

David Ralph [48:45]
So exactly as you were saying it’s the dark, it’s the light. It’s the journey, but it’s the it’s the faith but yes, things are going to turn out all right. That’s the most important thing, isn’t it?

George Dyer [48:57]
It is and you know what, it will

As I said, You know, I loved what he said he’s absolutely right. And being that I’m a religious man I think that God is He loves us just like any parent loves their child more than anything He loves us and He wants us to succeed. But he also wants us to learn the lessons of life that are so that we can help other people along the way through our experiences and and we do we have to go forward with faith because he’s right you can’t you look back on life as they say, wow. Vision is what 20 hindsight is 2020 you know, everything so clear is we look back in the past and, and see the things that occurred in our lives that brought us to where we are at that moment. And we can’t really second guess we just have to say that that’s my life that that I created because of my choices. Some bad some good hopefully I’ve learned from the bad so that when I have choices similar to that, but there Certain things that happen in our lives that we don’t have control over and I think that that’s God leading us in the in the direction that we need to go so that we can learn the most and be have the best experience in life and, and also help others along in their experience in life. And, you know, as I look back and I connect my dots and I look right at man today, I’ve learned a lesson I that life is an adventure. And so when something perceived to be a negative occurs in my life, I just have to say, well, there’s a reason why this is happening and I need to learn the lesson from it and embrace it and not, you know, move on I learned something this past Christmas, a great line somebody told me because I was talking to a woman I said, you know, what I admire about you is that you’re never flustered, no matter what the situation is. You never seem to get flustered and she said My mantra is, there are no problems in life just solutions we haven’t discovered yet. And so I’ve tried to apply that from that moment on in my life is that you know what? We’re all going to be faced with problems. We can’t focus on the problem, we have to just realise that there’s a solution to it. And it to that point, we haven’t found it yet, but keep searching.

David Ralph [51:23]
And do you have a big.in your life when you look back on the Join Up Dots timeline? Is there a dot that you go Yeah, that was probably that was probably when I started believing in myself and George Dyer was born.

George Dyer [51:37]
Hellboy boy?

Yeah, I think I’ve probably got equally sized dots of that, that size throughout my life I can look back at and those are seminal moments where we go, Wow, that was a big, I guess you could say an intersection of my life where I chose, you know, Something happened in my life that helped direct me to where I am today or directed me to that next big dot which has all led up to where I am today. And you know if from the very beginning I can look for my childhood, certain things both some some things that I I wish that I had taken a different path, but once again, I’m in a place in my my journey where I’m very happy with it and, and, and, and continuing to learn and I hope that you know that these dots as they keep coming up, I’ll I’ll continue to make the right choice when those thoughts pop up.

David Ralph [52:42]
And the fascinating thing is, if you get far enough away from those bad dots, you look at them as good dots and that seems to be a truth as well.

George Dyer [52:51]
Exactly. Yeah, back that Captain Kirk. It’s our pain. It’s our mistakes that make up who we are and and who we are today and I think You know, we never stop growing, we’re going to have an eternity of dots where we look back. And we see these moments that make us who we are and get us to where we are at that moment in time as we continue to move forward in in time and eternity.

David Ralph [53:18]
Well, let’s take you back to where it all began. Now, this is the end of the show. And this is the part that we call the Sermon on the mic when we send you back in time to have a one on one with your younger self. And if you could go back in time and speak to the young George Dyer, what age would you choose and what advice would you give? Well, we’re going to find out now because I’m going to play the theme tune and when it fades, you’re out. This is the Sermon on the mic

Unknown Speaker [53:48]
with the best

George Dyer [54:03]
Well, Georgia

you’re 10 years old and your

your family is starting to fall apart a little bit. Your parents are gonna get a divorce and about a year to and you’ve got some choices ahead of you that that are going to some you’ll make from yourself some that others will make for you. But those choices, especially those that are made for you are going to lead you to, to the man that you’re going to be when you get older. Know that the the sadness that you are going to be experiencing, especially as you see your

your mother and father be pulled apart and the family be pulled apart.

You’re going to learn from this experience and the sadness. You’re going to learn to understand the the importance of family and sticking it out through the worst of times, because it is absolutely worth it.

No matter what happens, no matter how sad your life may seem, no matter how

unfulfilled you may feel at times and how unfair life may appear to you and know that there’s a plan for you. And if you are true and faithful to yourself and to those values that you’ve learned from a little boy from your earliest recollections and that is families The most important thing in life that you Be able to get through all the trials and the storms that life places in front of you that you’ll recognise that some choices, though they may seem the best, will not lead you in the direction you need to go in your life and ultimately will lead you away from your true happiness and potential. So hold fast to the knowledge that that your family, the family that you’re going to create, with the the wife that you will meet and marry, and the children that you’ll bring into this world and teach them the lessons that you’ve learned. Know that that is where you’re going to find your greatest peace, your greatest solace and your greatest satisfaction. And that no matter what career path you may take, whether it be music, which I know is probably what you want to do most that As long as you hold tight to that foundation of your family, and and the love and the safety that you find there, that no matter what goes on around you, whatever comes your way, that you’re still always going to have that peace and that happiness and that safety and always look to God

Unknown Speaker [57:21]
and

George Dyer [57:23]
keep him in your life. And everything will work out in the end, and you will be a very happy and successful person.

David Ralph [57:35]
Dude, how can our audience connect with you sir?

George Dyer [57:39]
With me, they can go to I have a website, which is George dire.com or in the middle of rebooting it so it hasn’t been worked on for a while. So we’re revamping that. I have got Twitter account, George dire media or at George Star Media and they can also contact me through the talent connection USA, which in my talent management team

David Ralph [58:14]
will have all those links on the show notes. Mr. Dyer, thank you so much for spending time with us today, joining up those dots and please come back again, when you have more dots to join up because I do believe that by joining up the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures. Mr. George Dyer, thank

George Dyer [58:30]
you so much, David. Thank you. It was a pleasure.

David Ralph [58:35]
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of weekend rewind with Join Up Dots if you’re inspired by podcast and have the desire to create one yourself and build income into your life doing something that’s incredibly fun whether you’ve got a business already or you’re just starting from scratch. We have got the number one tutorials for you go over to podcast is mastery.com and you will be sent a free A 12 part video course teaching you how to start podcasting. So that’s podcast is mastery.com and of course next weekend, we will have another episode of We can rewind.

Outro [59:12]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you are wants to become so he’s put together and amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to Join Up dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on Join Up Dots.