Gabe Dalporto on Drum-Off, Community and Building the Future of Guitar Center

Guitar Center’s Inside the Noise podcast has wrapped its third season, giving the company’s CEO Gabe Dalporto an opportunity to reflect on the experience. Interviewed by Guitar Center Senior Manager of Content Max Lauer-Bader, Dalporto revisits the artists, innovators and industry leaders who shaped the podcast over the past several months, as well as how those conversations have influenced the company's direction.

Bringing Back Drum-Off

"Almost immediately after joining Guitar Center, people started asking me, 'Are you going to bring Drum Off back?'" says Dalporto. "Drum-Off had become a pillar of the drumming community. It was a way to elevate local drummers to a national stage. Then, it just stopped, and there was a huge void."So, we relaunched Drum-Off in May and about 2,600 local drummers submitted videos. We had almost 500 people go to the district finals, 24 to regionals and six finalists performed in Hollywood in front of celebrity judges. I couldn't believe the energy in the room that night. It was really striking. All of the drummers were supporting each other and inspiring each other. It’s not to say that guitarists or bassists aren’t supportive of each other, but there's something unique about the drum community.”

Forging Musical Communities at the Vans Warped Tour

"I learned from Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman that the festival was never about booking the biggest acts,” says Dalporto. “It was really about surfacing new musicians and emerging artists and honoring them. Then, while talking with Jimmy Eat World, I heard how bigger acts such as Blink-182 helped them early on, and now they're trying to pay that forward with other bands. There's a spirit of collaboration around the Vans Warped Tour that really goes back to Kevin Lyman."

Much More Than Selling Instruments

"I don’t feel Guitar Center is solely about selling instruments,” says Dalporto. “It's how do we help and support musicians at each stage of their musical journey? After all, that journey might take a while—I learned from our Warped Tour interviews that many of the bands struggled for years before making it—and it's hard. Part of it is being there at the beginning of the journey and helping musicians learn their skills through things like Guitar Center lessons. We need to help with the inspiration, connect musicians with other musicians and provide a supportive community.”

Looking Forward

"I am a fundamentally unsatisfied person,” admits Dalporto. “It doesn't matter where we are as a company—I always know we can be better. For example, providing a comfortable and welcoming store environment where people can come in, play, collaborate and have a good time is really important. Because what's right for you might be different than what's right for me. If you can't experience playing an instrument, you can read all the reviews in the world and then come in and realize you hate it. Finding the right instrument is a deeply personal decision.”

Get the Full Scoop on Season 3

Watch the complete season 3 wrap-up with Dalporto and Lauer-Bader so you can explore other episodes. Catch Inside the Noise with Gabe Dalporto on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any of your favorite major platforms. When you subscribe, you’ll get new episodes every Tuesday at 3 p.m. PT.