“Music is something that comes from within. If you want to be a musician, you have to find that burning passion to be the best, and let that passion inspire you.” – Curtis Watts

Curtis has had his share of ups and down in the music business. In a landscape where competition is tough and new talents are being discovered every day, how does one last? This is a question that many new musicians ask Curtis and one that he has learned to answer.

Over the years and after hundreds of gigs later, Curtis has come to discover that while it’s imperative to have talent in music, there’s a bigger, much more powerful element at play when it comes to working and enduring in the business –that is PASSION.

Passion is what keeps you going during the early days when you’re just breaking into the industry. Passion is what keeps you from giving up when there’s more criticism than praise. Passion is what keeps you playing despite personal tragedies. And more importantly, passion is what you take to work with you to make good music.

People hire live musicians not just for music but for good music. The kind of music that brings people together and makes them get up from their seat and participate in the festivities. It’s the music that comes from within –the music that is born out of passion.

Because of his love for making music, Curtis managed to surpass the challenges that came with being a Drummer/ Percussionist/ songwriter in New York City (a city that is teeming with incredible musicians like him!), making his own hip hop Album on Sony Epic records, and starting a samba band and jazz quartet. Playing the drums and jamming with fellow musicians brings him sheer joy and this is what pushed him to make a life and career out of it. He lives to inspire people to let go and feel his passion and this drives him to perform his best every single time.

So when new musicians ask Curtis for advice, Passion is his one-word answer. And it’s one advice that you can trust whether or not you play music for a living.