Today we’d like to introduce you to Noel Goff.
Noel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Music making and entertaining runs deep in my family. My grandfather was a symphony conductor, my cousin performed on Broadway and toured with Steely Dan, and my mom was, and my dad is, a talented multi-instrumentalist. One of my first memories in life is seeing a drum kit for the first time at age 3. Been playing every since. As s a kid, I envisioned writing movies, being the director, lead actor, while composing the score. Fast forward to college, at Georgia State, I was majoring in film, but failed a couple classes for the first time in my life, and totally unsure of what exactly I was doing there. My anxiety was also at an all-time high, crippling. I decided to take a break from school to focus more on music, feeling drawn to that world more than film production. I was asked by a good friend to join his band in moving to Germany to live and work with a record producer. This was a life-altering, positive change of scenery that I’m extremely thankful for. I came back to Atlanta refreshed and began working professionally as a musician, while holding down a variety of side jobs, i.e. shoe salesman, an extra in movies, a stagehand. In the last few years, after many unsuccessful bands and numerous odd jobs, I felt the need to push myself and focus more, specifically as a record producer, my true passion. I had dreamt since I was a kid of making music for commercials, TV, movies, etc. So less than a couple years ago, as determination and divine intervention would have it, I was approached by a good friend and writing partner to compose for Undercover Boss on CBS, which then lead to us collaborating on additional music and the theme song for Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hrs to Hell and Back on FOX. The exact opportunities I’d hoped for. On top of that, our recent release, “Summertime”, has been streamed over a million times in the first few months. To write from the heart, and have it connect with people is an incredible feeling. And at the age of 35, I’m the most fulfilled musically, creatively, and in life than I’ve ever been. I finally feel like I’m on the right path.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has absolutely not been a smooth path! There are friends and family in my life that have always been so incredibly supportive of my journey. But outside of that, you’re often asked as an artist, especially the older you become, “When are you going to start thinking about your career and making money?”. And on the inside, you’re screaming, “THAT’S WHAT I’M DOING.” All the while, opportunities and potential breaks come and go, reinforcing this sentiment. But, so much of my journey is trusting my gut and believing in myself. I’ve lost count of all the failed bands I’ve been in, and some with great potential. I’ve held the most random side jobs, from selling shoes, selling medical supplies, to pushing road cases for musicians and bands I envy. My mom passed away less than a month before our wedding, and she’d be the first person I’d call with good or bad news. Throughout all of this, my passion for making music and the notion of life being short has continued to drive me. It’s a story of manifestation. No matter what roadblocks I encounter, I’m too obsessed with the unconventional, adventurous life I see myself living.
What else should we know about you and your work?
I’m a writer, producer, drummer, guitarist, and composer. In short, I make music for various purposes, whether being for other artists or TV.
I’m most proud of making music that I believe in and enjoy, while also appealing to music lovers and the music licensing industry. Specific accomplishments I’m most happy about are composing music for network TV, such as CBS and FOX, and the recent success of our original artistic music, having been streamed over a million times across the world in a short period of time.
What hopefully sets me apart is being able to leave my ego at the door, with a desire to do what is best for a song. It’s all about the song as a whole. Simplicity is a beautiful thing. I also want people to enjoy working with me and to look forward to our time together, and provide a positive, productive vibe.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We just released a retro, soul collaboration “When We Were Young” that I’m really excited about! And we also recently put out a dark rendition of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” from our band FLOY, as well as a new single “John Hughes” from my band Drive On. Many more tunes coming soon!
Otherwise, my plans for the future are to continue growing musically and as a person. I want to expand in discovering artists to work with. I want to continue writing songs for the world to hopefully hear and enjoy. Life is hard. It’s weird. But also, so beautiful.
Contact Info:
- Website: noelgoff.com
- Phone: 678.523.6195
- Email: noelgoff@yahoo.com
Image Credit:
All images by Ryan McDougall.
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
