At the age of 11, Brian was cast alongside Jack Black in the Paramount Pictures film “School of Rock” as Billy, a.k.a. “Fancy Pants.” As years passed, Brian grew within the music industry, releasing an EP called “Love One Another”.
Recently Brian took to the stage at the Cutting Room in NYC to promote his brand new album “Stage Two”, and released the first single from the record called “Rainy Day”. The title of the album is inspired by psychologist Alan Downs book ‘The Velvet Rage’, which documents 3 stages of the gay man’s psychology: Stage 1 shame, Stage 2 compensating for shame, and Stage 3 authenticity.
Brian wrote each of the songs on this album during Stage 2 of his own experience. “Rainy Day” documents the darkest moments in that phase of his life. As well as being a well known actor and striving as a singer/songwriter, Brian is also an I.C.F certified Life Coach and advocate.
To top off his already long list of achievements, he was recently named one of the “20 most influential, outspoken, and optimistic individuals on the planet” by PrideLife Magazine. With all this in mind I wanted to chat to this inspirational artist, on all things music, movies and life;
1.) When and where did you first discover music was your passion?
Well, I’ve been taking singing lessons since I was 10. I used to sing in the church children’s choir – I was the loudest and the youth minister praised me for it. I enjoyed the attention I got for just doing something that felt good and that I wanted to do. So I’ve always enjoyed singing and music has always been a big part of my life. But my love for songwriting came about 3 or so years ago. I was working in country music at the time and I went through a tough break-up that wrung my heart out enough that even some lyrics squeezed out. Writing lyrics became therapeutic for me at that time.
2.) You shot to fame in your role on the Jack Black hit film ‘School Of Rock’, what was it like being apart of a film as big as that?
Being a part of a film like that at such a young age was a very unique experience that I don’t take for granted. To this day, it remains the most impactful thing I’ve done in my life. My relationship to it as a part of my life has changed over the years but as I’ve come to accept it for what it is, it’s brought many blessings even 15 years later.
3.) As a developing performer, who were the artists you wanted to emulate?
I love my girls: Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson. I listen to a lot of country music: Rascal Flatts, Kacey Musgraves, Zac Brown Band, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile. My current top influence is probably Matt Alber. He literally has my dream career. He’s a successful and passionate LGBTQ songwriter whose music I love. He also works as an advocate for gay youth and that is high on my priority list.
4.) What would you say has been your biggest achievement?
My greatest achievements are more personal than they are professional. I’ve changed a lot over the years and a lot of that has come from difficulties I’ve been through. I strive every day to chip away at the ways I was wrong yesterday so that I can be a little less wrong tomorrow and I can confidently say that I’m a better, more content, person now than I’ve ever been. That’s a big accomplishment in my eyes.
5.) Tell me about the new album?
The new album is called Stage Two and I’m so psyched about it. It’s a collection of seven country pop tracks that I’ve written over the past three years during a time in my life that author Alan Downs would call Stage Two. The album is actually named after a book on gay psychology he wrote called “The Velvet Rage.” The tracks range in mood and tempo but they all come from an unhealthy place of feeling invalidated by a history of living in shame as a closeted gay man. I highly suggest reading Down’s book to accurately grasp the point I’m trying to make by naming the album after it. That said, the songs are relatable across all narratives. We’ve all had stages of our life filled with self-destructive and self-sabotaging behavior and this was mine. My songs tell my stories and my favorite part of songwriting has been writing relatable lyrics that allow me to connect with people who have had similar experiences to me.
6.) You wrote all the songs on the album, which you derived from personal experiences. Was it hard for you to be as open as you are on the songs?
Not really. I’ve learned over the years that vulnerability is strength and the first place I made that realization was through sharing my music. It was a surprisingly easy place to start revealing emotions and feelings I’d never put out there before and wrap them up in a melody. Translating that honesty and authenticity over to my real life and my work as an actor was a more challenging task, actually.
7.) Tell me about the new single “Rainy Day”, what does this song mean to you?
“Rainy Day” was written from the darkest point of my “Stage Two.” As the song states, I had been at a bit of a writer’s block before I got this one out. That was because I was wrapped up in a turmoil situation that I was without the words to talk even myself out of and for that I am not proud. At the time I felt like I was losing who I was and that’s because I was misplacing my sense of self-worth. The goal of making this song is to illustrate how much of ourselves we can hand over to undeserving individuals when we forget how loveable and worthy of love we already are. I believe that is a moment very reflective of Stage Two.
8.) You’re also a I.C.F life coach and advocate, how important is that to you?
Life Coaching has been such a gift! I love my clients and making them a part of my day is both rewarding and inspiring for me. Life is a complicated journey with many struggles and there is no reason for us to handle it all on our own. Partnering up with someone toward being your best self can help you avoid dark places like the one I was in when I wrote “Rainy Day.” In addition to just using my voice and role in the community to forward the LGBTQ advocacy movement, I also aim to use my business to work with clients in the gay community on a one-on-one level; clients who need help developing confidence and a strong sense of self-esteem because they spent so much of their lives viewing themselves as flawed. I know all too well how essential this turnaround is and I think it’s important that those of us who are headed towards that place of authenticity and subsequent contentment reach back and grab a hand of those who haven’t yet started this transformational growth.
9.) If you were going to start from scratch, what advice would you give yourself, knowing what you know now?
This is a difficult question! Haha! I certainly wouldn’t change anything about my life. It’s all gotten me to where I am. But the “from scratch” part adds a complication. My advice to myself would probably just be something stolen from Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” I’m so genuinely curious what I’d be like today if I had always stayed true to who I was and never made any adjustments based on what other people thought of me. I, unfortunately, went so far off the course at times that I am still piecing together who it is that I am and what my innermost truth is. But I promise I will spend the rest of my life trying to be as authentically “me” as possible.
10.) Where has been your favourite place to perform and what makes it special to you?
My favorite place to perform was at my Grandma’s nursing home. She has been my biggest fan and my best friend throughout my entire life. She never missed a show until the day that she had to because she was overcome with dementia. So, my band and I packed up all our equipment and brought the show to her. She passed on October 7, 2017 and it’s been good to have her at all my shows again. Our performance at her facility inspired me and my guitarist Michael Benjamin Bunin to start an official service of providing live music for nursing homes. We perform for the elderly often and it’s one of my absolute favorite things to do.
11.) What’s next on the agenda for Brian Falduto?
Acting! I am gearing up for Pilot Season. I am ready to start telling stories on screen again.
“Rainy Day” is available on all platforms now.
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