Meet Derek Petrucci | Music Producer & Event Curator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Derek Petrucci and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Derek, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
I think the idea of giving up to me is very much a philosophical one. In current times, it seems almost insane to try and pursue dreams / careers outside of the normal lens of life, but this to me is where all of the fun is. Carving your own path in the world and doing things on your terms makes all of the stresses & obstacles of pursuing your passion worth it. To me, there is zero value or validity in the idea of giving up. You have to strive on and fight through the roadblocks to do what you believe in, or else you are tasked with regretting not giving it your all – and that is far worse.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have 2 main creative pursuits as an artist: Pipe Leak (my electronic project) & BareFuzz (my band of 9+ years where I serve as the drummer). Focusing more specifically on Pipe Leak for where I feel I am “different” is rooted in what I would consider an extremely eclectic music taste that influences my productions in myriad ways. From an extremely young age I have been obsessed with music of all kinds. This ranges from extreme metal (death metal, black metal) to electronic music (drum n’ bass, dubstep, breaks, glitch-hop) to jazz (fusion, lounge, free) to hip hop. Taking in all of these influences allows me to identify elements, sounds, textures and colors from each genre and apply them to my own distinct style while also allowing me to be versatile when it comes to genre. I couldn’t listen to one style of music for a week long if I tried, and that is the same approach I take to producing – I do not force anything, I let what is coming up in the moment come out and explore it until it is rung dry, and then move onto the next. As far as the band setting – I would say I am most proud of what we have been able to accomplish in one of the most difficult touring times for a band (post covid). We have played on such stages / festivals as: Legend Valley, The Caverns, The Cleveland Masonic Temple & everywhere in between. But what makes me most proud is that it was all done with love and respect of each other. My bandmates are my best friends and true brothers and that is a bond that will last forever – that makes me incredibly proud.

As far as what I want the world to know about my brand or story – it’s actually pretty simple. Jumping again back to Pipe Leak – I want to convey to the world what I am feeling and how I see the world. I try to be an open vessel and analyze the world through an objective lens – for both the good and the bad. My music / art is a commentary on how I see things, wether that is happy, sad, angry, depressive or joyous. By taking this approach my goal is that others can resonate with this view and know that they aren’t alone in seeing things this way, just as I resonated with the things that caught my ear as a kid & young adult.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a tough one. I’ll give a few of each:

Restaurants: Cornerstone Deli, Valentina’s, Just Chicken
Coffee: HoneyCup, Casa Cacao, Parable
Live Music: The Summit Music Hall, Woodlands Tavern, The Newport
Sports: Columbus Crew, Blue Jackets

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give my shoutout 100% to my parents. They have supported me in everything that I have done (even the crazy things) with total commitment & love. Without their support and the values that they have instilled in me, I would not be doing or striving for any of the things that I am involved in currently. I also would like to recommend the works of Steven Pressfield (specifically “Turning Pro” & “The War of Art”) – both of these books have had a dramatic impact on my mindset and daily creative habits.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pipe_leak/

Image Credits
Adam Berta, Sean Coughlan