Many try and don’t make it while, many don’t try at all. But only few try, make it and exceed expectations.  This is the culture of the music industry and only someone who posses a strong work ethic and the art of perseverance will prevail and make claim to a top spot.  This person is Gary Marella and through his ability to take heed into his passion for music and conceptualize a clear vision for his future, he has made a name for himself in the music industry.  Now with the founding of his own record company, Roma Records and his management, marketing and tour company Del Mar Entertainment, Mr. Marella is showing us that through dedication and belief in oneself, anything is possible.

Speaking on his decision to pursue a career in the music industry…

“I think it was [19]93 or [19]94 when I started interning at Interscope Records. Interacting with the artists — I actually started in publishing and once I felt the energy at a record label and saw the diversity with like Dr. Dre, No Doubt and Tupac, all the artists that were around in the beginning, I just loved it. I knew I didn’t want to do anything else after that.”

Speaking on his advice for those entering the real world…

“Truthfully, I wish someone would have actually told me that the majority of the experience in college is not so much about the grades you get.  It’s more so about your social interactions, living and actually finding what your true passion is that you want to do instead of going after what you think is the right thing to do. My parents were like you need to go into business and you need to do this.  I knew I wanted to be in music when I was eight years old when I was playing drums in some little stupid kid band. So, I guess its that somebody would have told me that to be happy you truly need to go after what you really, really, want to do, and every day I go to work I love what I do.  I couldn’t imagine it being any other way.”

Speaking on how to approach the music industry…

“Well, there are so many different areas of the music industry. If you are a great attorney and you want to go into entertainment law, I think its luck of the draw of getting in there. With someone getting into A&R, it depends on if you truly have a vision to hear an artist that 90 percent of people around you will say is not a star and is not going to break.  You have to have the perseverance to stay constant in that artist and stick by and never take no for an answer.  I have never been on the A&R side of things, until the start of my own label, so for me it was easier to be the head of promotions and have the president of the company say, ‘Hey we signed this artist, here is the song, and pick a single.’ Well that’s not as hard.  It’s hard to pick a single, but I think it’s harder to truly find talent, pick the talent and then turn them into a star.  So, I think more than anything its never taking no for an answer.”

Speaking on accomplishing your dreams…

“Don’t take no for an answer.  There were plenty of times that I found artists — T-Pain I brought to Universal [Records] before anybody knew him, and I was told he was never going to be a hit.  Goo Goo Dolls — years ago in the early 90s one of my father’s friend that worked with them in Buffalo, N.Y. brought in the Goo Goo Dolls that I brought to the label that I worked with at the time and they told me they weren’t going to be anything. At that time when I was young coming up in the business, I assumed these people have been in the business longer and they know what they are talking about; I must be wrong.  Now looking in retrospect, nobody knows. So, my opinion is don’t ever take no for an answer, and if you believe in artists or if you are an artist that believes in yourself, don’t give up.”

Speaking on the words he lives by…

“The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all. That quote is from Richard Branson.”

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