A Surgeon Turned Musician – The Unusual Prague Story of Gabriele Felici
Gabriele Felici came to Prague to study his final year of medicine, and by chance, in addition to becoming a surgeon, he also happened to become a performing musician. At one of the open mics he visited, he took the courage to jump on stage, and the rest is history. “I could play music, but I never did it professionally. And here in Prague, it came so naturally. Suddenly it was easy to see that I could make a living making music without suffering.”
“I saw some people even cry.“
Gabriele started booking daily gigs in Prague, being recognized as a captivating performer. “I had people who stayed at a place for two hours just because of me. I saw some people even cry.” He is sought for his versatility and approachability, playing a mix of folk, pop, and rock covers as well as his own songs using loop-station and multiple instruments. „My main instrument is guitar, but I can play up to 20 instruments.”
During the lockdown, he started producing his own songs and music videos. “I finally found the attitude and time to produce my songs properly. I’m happy that I learned to do it all by myself; it’s my personal achievement.”
Let’s take a look at Gabriele’s story, what’s unique about his music, and where you can listen to it.
“I can get on the stage and share my music with people. Why not?”
Gabriele was born in Italy and spent most of his life there, near Rome. “Everything I know about music I’ve learned myself since I was a kid. That’s my strength and weakness at the same time. I don’t have a formal musical education, but it taught me to be extra creative.”
After high school, Gabriele decided to study medicine. In his final year, he had the opportunity to study in Prague. “When I came here, I started to hang out at those places that were so new, cool, and fresh! Because we don’t have anything like that in Italy – such as open mics and jam sessions. So I said, I love music, I can get on the stage and share my music with people. Why not?”
Gabriele got on the stage at A-Maze-In-Tchaiovna. “I played my three songs, and when I was done, a girl came to me and said, ‘That was great! When’s your next concert?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t have any concerts…’ And Andy, the owner of the place, came in and said, ‘Oh, it’s gonna be next week. On Tuesday, right?’ He winked at me, and I said, ‘Oh, ok.’” Gabriele laughs.
Becoming a Performer
“So I had my first concert ever, and I wasn’t expecting what happened. You know the old A-Maze-In-Tchaiovna, it was lovely, and there was space for not more than 30 people. But that night, it was packed. I started with a guitar, and then I moved to the piano in the second part of the concert, and everyone gathered around me, and the lights were dimmed, and it was an amazing experience.”
“Since then, I have continued to play there and started playing in other places as well. People started to know me, and I suddenly had concerts every day.” Within a couple of months of moving to Prague, Gabriele was booking daily live gigs in local pubs and restaurants. “I do make decent money playing music, but I still want to keep my day job as a doctor. I know people who managed to maintain both. But if I had a chance to become a professional musician, I would consider giving up medicine.”
What’s Gabriele’s Music Like?
Gabriele’s music is influenced by bands such as Queen, Coldplay, U2, or songwriters such as Ed Sheeran. “I like that he started on the streets, and I appreciate what he has achieved,” says Gabriele. He also draws inspiration from composers such as Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone. “They inspire me to keep learning other instruments – which you need for composing music. You need to know how the instruments work in order to understand what you can do with them.”
“My music is a mix of these influences, mostly folk, pop, and rock with shades of punk and blues. My main instrument is guitar, but I can play the percussion, piano, ukulele… I can play up to 20 instruments, more or less. Not in a professional manner, but I can play them,” he laughs. “My songs are mostly about love. Some in Italian and some in English; they touch feelings. The topic of love might seem trivial, but the lyrics aren’t.”
Self-Made Man
Gabriele is mainly a live performer, but all performing artists had a lot of time on their hands during the pandemic. Gabriele decided to use this time to record and produce his songs. “So far, I chose to do everything by myself at home. I learned how to use all the programs that I need; I spent dozens of hours studying everything. On the tracks, I play all the instruments and do all the vocals. I also do the mastering by myself. I can’t do it on the level of an actual sound engineer, but I can do it somehow. And this is something I appreciate a lot. That all is done by me alone.”
He combines music production with creating music videos. “I like to share my music visually.” Gabriele likes to try new things, new effects, new angles, always thinking of the next project. In his music videos, he’s the director, cameraman, main protagonist, and editor. “I try to be as original as possible when I make the videos, but it is a lot of work and effort. Hopefully, in the future, I’ll find someone who will help me with this.”
What’s Gabriele up to?
“I decided I will keep producing as long as I can. I publish a new video or a song each month. But now, when the lockdown’s over, I will definitely reduce the time I spend on these projects. I won’t say no to any gig, and that means playing every day.” Live performing is where Gabriele feels at home and where he excels at moving the audience. “That’s when I get the best feedback ever. And that’s very rewarding.”
Check him out at his next gig at the Italian festival
Tutto Italiano 2021
Sunday, June 20th
at Karlínské náměstí
Gabriele plays at 11:30-12:30 and 18:30-19:30
Listen to Gabriele’s music and follow him here:
SPOTIFY
YOUTUBE
APPLE MUSIC
AMAZON MUSIC
Watch Gabriele’s newest music video:
Don’t Miss Out
I hope you enjoyed another from my series of posts in which I want to introduce you to interesting Prague-based artists and tell you their inspiring stories. Go to Interviews to read the previous ones. And make sure you won’t miss the next story by subscribing to my newsletter.
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