Dave Gaskin

Dave grew up to the sounds of Simon & Garfunkle, Dire Straits, Gordon Lightfoot, Santana, ELO, Burton Cummings, and countless more.

Dave Gaskin as Epic
Dave Gaskin at Youthfest, Burlington, Ontario, 2004

His first memory of music is falling in love to the sounds of Alvin and the Chipmunks singing the Beatle’s ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ on cassette (and before he knew who the Beatles were!).

When he was 15, his best friend at the time introduced him to Radiohead’s “The Bends”. Within 6 months of that he was proficient at the guitar, and not soon after, formed his first band Epic.

And he hasn’t looked back.

Dave performing circa 2010
Dave performing in his band White Elephant, circa 2005.

He’s spent countless hours in professional and home studios and has had the privilege of working with some notable musicians, engineers, and producers including Robin Aube (U2, Dan Lanois) and Paul Isner (Disney).

Dave in the Humber College music studio
Workshopping a song in the studio at Humber College in Toronto.

In 2001, he studied music production and audio engineering at Recording Arts Canada, one of the first national audio recording schools, under the guidance of Brian Nevin (k.d. lang, Geddy Lee, Platinum Blonde), and others.

In 2004, David was accepted into Toronto’s Humber College, in the contemporary Jazz performance and composition program for Voice. There he studied harmony, ear training, and performance, as well as learning songwriting and music business, from former Triumph leadman, Rik Emmett.

Robbie Lane and Dave Gaskin in the AM740 studios
Dave with On-Air talent, Robbie Lane at the AM740 studios in Toronto, Ontario.

After earning his degree, he later worked as a production assistant for Moses Znaimer’s the New Classical 96.3 FM and AM740 in Toronto, working with great live on-air talent and producing many promos and commercial spots.

As a composer, David’s music has been featured on national television and radio and he and his band have shared the stage with such acts as Treble Charger, Idle Sons, and many other talented acts including long-time Leonard Cohen fiddler, Bob Furgo, who briefly mentored Dave as well as accompanied him at a special performance at the famed Pappy and Harriett’s roadhouse and cantina in the California desert.

Bob Furgo with Dave Gaskin
Long-time Leonard Cohen fiddler, Bob Furgo accompanies Dave at the legendary Pappy & Harriett’s. Pioneertown, California.

Dave loves to teach and has previously taught guitar, piano, and voice to students of all ages. He is also a songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer. You can find some of his music on Soundcloud and YouTube.

He remains ever curious about composition and performance and is always searching for that perfect note..

Join his Patreon for in-depth lessons and Pro Tabs of all the songs in his catalog!

Dave Gaskin as White Elephant

Want to improve your skills as a musician and take your guitar playing, composition, ear training, and more to the next level?