Today we’d like to introduce you to Garet Speakman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Coming from a small town in Ohio, Garet Speakman came to San Diego looking for opportunity in America’s Finest City and has now called it home for eight years. A graduate in music business with 15 years of professional experience, he has bootstrapped two local boutique music businesses here in San Diego and is currently launching a nonprofit focused on using music to promote its own local events, as well as other nonprofits that are doing good in our communities and beyond.
Saffron, a Modern Luxury Music Experience, is quickly becoming San Diego’s flagship live music entertainment group, frequently performing at weddings, corporate events, and private parties. The group is comprised of San Diego–based professional musicians and staff, and is owned by the musicians themselves. Saffron was formed to answer a need in San Diego. Many people here value top-tier musicianship and want to hire locally but don’t know where to turn—sometimes having to pay agency price tags to bring groups down from L.A. or elsewhere. Saffron’s focus is to provide the highest-quality musicianship and production at reasonable prices. It is a boutique local business focused on delivering unparalleled customer service to its neighbors here in San Diego.
San Diego Drum Academy is the first and only all-drum-focused music school in the city. Owned and operated by highly sought-after local professional drummers, San Diego Drum Academy offers one-on-one, in-person drum lessons with professional instructors who have the experience needed to guide drummers beyond simply learning to play—and into professional careers if they so choose. Students at the Academy have the opportunity to learn from college-educated instructors with experience playing for big-name musicians. On top of high-end drum lessons, students learn about recording, production, gig life, music business, and everything in between. San Diego Drum Academy is the only place in San Diego offering this level of service to students who want to know everything there is to know about drumming and the music industry in general. This isn’t a generic chain business offering generic drum lessons at a price-gouging rate; San Diego Drum Academy is a boutique, San Diego-based business comprised of all-star instructors teaching students how to actually succeed in their goals.
California Streamin’ is the nonprofit Garet is currently launching. This organization will feature musicians performing inside a vintage 1972 Airstream all over San Diego—promoting events people can get involved in and spreading awareness of other nonprofits that are doing good in our community and beyond.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing good comes easily, and great things come with even more challenges and delays. I don’t come from money and wasn’t in a position to seek investors when starting these businesses—they’re both bootstrapped solely by myself. The music business, and more
specifically the wedding business, can be challenging to navigate. Things get political, and competition is fierce. I’ve found that making sure Saffron goes above and beyond what L.A. or New York agency-owned groups are offering—and doing so at a more reasonable price range—has been the biggest factor in helping us move forward. We do everything in-house, and clients communicate directly with me, the owner. We’re not a conglomerate of different musicians run by an agency that’s just trying to book as many dates as possible. We’re a boutique local business focused on providing our San Diego community with the highest level of musicianship and production possible, at home-team prices. Our loyalty to San Diego, and our relationships with local professionals, is what has really helped us get ahead here at home.
San Diego Drum Academy has been no different. The start was challenging, with humble beginnings. But now, through partnering with other local businesses, we’ve been able to expand our student base and get more of San Diego learning to drum—the right way. We’re excited about our students’ success and are looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish long-term.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Both Saffron (Modern Luxury Music Experience) and San Diego Drum Academy are focused on delivering unparalleled products and services. Both are comprised of amazingly talented and experienced musicians. These are boutique, local businesses built on top-notch customer service. Everything we do has our name on it, and that means something to us. I, along with the Saffron and San Diego Drum Academy teams, am extremely proud of what we’re building here in San Diego. We’re all locals with deep relationships in this community, and we want to create institutions that act as true staples in our city. Our goal is to be people our fellow San Diegans can trust and rely on—professional and ethical, always.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
California Streamin’ is hosting its first event on August 29th from 6–9 p.m. at the Maya Moon Collective on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights. We’ll have several amazing nonprofits coming out to share what they do for our community and how folks can get involved. We’ll also feature many great local musicians performing for everyone. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone looking to connect with people who are doing great things in our community and beyond to come out and get acquainted. All are welcome.
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