Nick D’Virgilio: For The Working Drummer

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“Try to think ahead of what you really want. The end goal. Where you really wanna be.”

If you tune into YouTube and other social media platforms, you’ll likely recognize Nick D’Virgilio’s name due to his presence at Sweetwater. That is certainly Nick’s main gig these days but he has had a very rich musical career leading up to this. He has worked with Genesis, Tears for Fears, Cirque Du Soleil, Spock’s Beard, Big Big Train and more.

Can you imagine actually recording on the final Genesis album? In that studio that produced some of the most important prog rock in history? Or touring with Tears for Fears? Leading up to the time where he met Kevin Gilbert randomly at a ski resort was a long grind of sameness, very little momentum and, in Nick’s words, “what am I doing with my life kinda stuff.”

Nick’s story is one of perseverance. He just wouldn’t accept an alternative even though he wasn’t going where he wanted for years. He found his break with Kevin and had the desire and abilities to make his mark and the rest is history. A truly amazing life of music and a story that will resonate with so many people.

In this episode:

You will hear about…

• Whether Nick thinks social skills have changed over the last fifteen years
• How Nick felt about interviewing people in the beginning
• Kevin Gilbert and what meeting him did for Nick’s early career
• Recording for Genesis
• The days at the Jolly Roger and when Nick was at odds with his music career
• Trusting your instincts
• The cost involved with a career in music
• Nick’s new concept album
• Nick’s take on brand loyalty
• A bit about Sweetwater
• How Nick likes his lifestyle now compared to before when he toured a lot

Why you should listen:

I think that this episode will be particularly beneficial for listeners who are grinding at the bars, playing small festivals, tracking for low budget artists, and essentially sticking with it in hopes that they will get their big break. With Nick, he couldn’t have imagined what was in store for him. It is good that he stuck with it and worked hard on his craft. His story will likely strongly resonate with working drummers who listen.

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