Heard of Coldplay? How about John Mayer or Regina Spektor? Well, catch one of their shows or play one of their tracks and you may very well hear the musical workings of Daniel Cho.
As a composer, songwriter, string/symphony arranger and producer, the 31-year-old Brooklyn dweller is one of the most sought-after session and tour musicians in the industry. When he’s not working as a free agent, he’s out performing with his pop/rock band Cooper. And when he’s not out performing, he’s watching Arrested Development with his wife, taking care of his newborn and answering questions for KoreAm. The man does it all.
You’ve played with some really big names. What would you consider to be your big break?
Not sure if I’ve had it yet. However, the biggest project I got to work on was a recording session for Coldplay. It was great and all, but I was a bit star-struck the whole time. What can I say? They’re friggin’ Coldplay. I got to tell my friends that Chris Martin took me out to lunch.
Describe a memorable performance.
A while back, Cooper opened for the Jonas Brothers. They weren’t as big as they are now, but they were big enough, already having many, many teenage fans. At the autograph booth, I learned that teenage girls possess superhuman strength and the ability to scream louder than fighter jets. Big security guys were getting pushed around like they were getting hit by a tidal wave. To this day, I regret not asking if I could join their posse.
Were you excited to hear that Cooper’s song “Revolving Doors” was being featured on The Hills?
Hell yeah, it’s the friggin’ Hills! With LC, Heidi and Lauren! OK, honestly, I’ve never seen the show. But I hear it’s high quality. You see, I don’t have cable. It’s a productivity thing. All right, it’s a cheap thing.
You’ve said that in music, not enough people know when to play and when not to play. Explain.
Many classical and jazz musicians, especially string players, tend to overplay when they shouldn’t. There are tons of shredders who can do super fast and technical scales, arpeggios and crazy licks. But who cares? If it’s not tasteful, and more importantly, if it doesn’t make the song sound better as a whole, you’re just getting in the way of good music.
Who are your music idols?
I’m a huge fan of good songwriters: Peter Gabriel, Travis, Billy Joel, Patty Griffin, David Mead. Also, since I was a little kid, I’ve worshipped Bruce Hornsby because of the crazy stuff he can do on the piano. I mean, yes, he definitely overplays, but when you’re Bruce Hornsby, you can do whatever you want.
