Andre Daniels
Guitars Over Guns
Chicago, IL USA
"You tell people all the time to put the guns down but you never really hear about people replacing it with anything. How can I tell you to stop your reality if I’m not being active in changing what surrounds you?"
Career Roadmap
Andre's work combines: Music, Non-Profit Organizations, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Advice for getting started
For a long time, I was used to being let down. I didn't think I'd catch a break or succeed. I developed a mindset that stuff like that doesn't happen for people like me. But then I started asking myself, "Why not me?" I had to go through a lot of hurdles but I persevered every time. It's okay to go through moments of failure. You need that. Just because you didn't win doesn't mean you failed. You only fail if you stop altogether.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I started my career as a rapper in Chicago, Illinois.
2.
I’d go to open mic nights in the city to showcase my writing and rapping, and would meet people in the scene.
3.
I eventually got signed and was able to make a living as a rapper.
4.
I got into mentoring because mentors have played such a significant role in my own life and I felt called to give back in a similar way.
5.
I started to like mentorship better than I liked rap, so I transitioned my focus to chase that passion.
6.
I’m currently working as the regional director of Guitars Over Guns, a music mentoring program dedicated to reshaping the trajectory of kids’ lives.
7.
I also created Haven Studios, a community-based recording studio in Chicago.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
Stuff like that doesn't happen to people like me.
How I responded:
For a long time, I was used to being let down. I didn't think I'd catch a break or succeed. I developed a mindset that stuff like that doesn't happen for people like me. But then I started asking myself, "Why not me?" I had to go through a lot of hurdles but I persevered every time. It's okay to go through moments of failure. You need that. Just because you didn't win doesn't mean you failed. You only fail if you stop altogether.