MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE | DEREK BENTIVEGNA (ESOTERIC NOVELTY) — "WHEN I SEE YOU THERE"

🎵 MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE | DEREK BENTIVEGNA (ESOTERIC NOVELTY) — "WHEN I SEE YOU THERE" Featuring musicians whose music goes beyond the melody. In this episode of Music with a Message, we sit down with Derek Bentivegna to talk about learning guitar one chord at a time as a homeless teenager, landing at Sundance and Abbey Road almost by accident, and the song he wrote about the people we lose and never really stop carrying. Then we let the music speak for itself. "When I See You There" is about the people who have passed out of our lives, and the hope that we're still connected to them, or that we never really were disconnected. CHAPTERS 00:38 How Derek describes his sound 01:28 Growing up in a WWII-era Brooklyn family 03:14 Learning guitar one chord at a time 05:01 Coming to Wichita 06:55 The blues club night that changed everything 08:15 Going full-time by accident 09:07 Sundance and Park City 12:18 How New York and Wichita shaped him 14:06 What the streets taught his songwriting 16:24 Portishead, Alice in Chains, and Clapton 18:54 How he ended up at Abbey Road 23:36 What music taught him about people 24:39 Wanting to quit every day 27:15 "Oh, that's my song" 28:24 Memory, time, and spirit 30:37 Songwriting and life's mysteries 32:11 Storyteller or question-asker? 34:08 How his outlook has changed 38:08 The ring in the tip bucket 41:02 What he hopes you take with you 41:27 Where songs begin 45:20 The story behind "When I See You There" 47:58 "Your body is gone, but your essence persists" 50:07 Why time and memory 52:45 The lyric he's proudest of 53:30 The message of the song 54:25 Performance: "When I See You There" 56:37 What he's most grateful for 57:31 What music taught him about himself 57:48 A play built from his songs 59:28 For anyone facing loss 1:01:28 How to reach Derek 🎵 ABOUT DEREK BENTIVEGNA Born and raised in New York, Derek has called Wichita, Kansas, home for over 25 years. He weaves soulful narratives into genre-blurring arrangements reminiscent of the singer-songwriters of the '60s and '90s. Although Derek started playing guitar and writing as an adult, he built a full-time career out of his solo performances by 25. His sound is defined by growing up on the streets of New York. With performances ranging from Sundance to Studio B at Abbey Road Studios in London, Derek has made a lasting impression on the ears, hearts, and minds of all who have experienced him. 📬 CONNECT WITH DEREK Email Derek at eyedreamsmusic@gmail.com and mention where you heard about him. He'll send you a personal note and a free EP that isn't available for purchase. Derek is also available to travel for private events and will book local musicians from your area as support. SoundCloud -   / derek-bentivegna   YouTube -    / @derekbentivegna2024   🎙️ ABOUT MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE Music with a Message is an On The Scene interview and performance series featuring musicians whose music goes beyond the melody. Each episode pairs genuine conversation with a featured performance. 🌎 Artists from anywhere are welcome. If your music carries a message, a story, or a deeper meaning, we'd love to hear from you: onthescene417@gmail.com #MusicWithAMessage #DerekBentivegna #EsotericNovelty #WhenISeeYouThere #OnTheScene #Americana #Singersongwriter #MusicWithMeaning #IndependentMusician #ArtistInterview