ARLINGTON — While many aspiring musicians would be discouraged by being told, “Don’t quit your day job,” Arlington resident David Rix considers it sound career advice.
Because he’s kept his day job as a bus driver with Community Transit for more than 15 years, he recently received recognition in that field and as a professional songwriter.
Not only did Rix reach the National Safety Council’s standard of 12 and a half years without a preventable accident to become a “Million Mile Driver,” but on July 30, one of the songs he’d written aired on an episode of the CBS soap opera “The Young and the Restless.”
“It took me a few months to write it,” said Rix of “Into the Road,” which played for a minute and 46 seconds, almost the entire length of that episode’s opening scene.
Rix’s current stint as a songwriter is actually his second attempt at a music career. He began playing music at the age of 12 and attempted to get into the music business in earnest during the early 1980s. When that didn’t pan out, he gave it a rest until about 10 years ago when he found himself picking up his guitar to write songs during his breaks on the job.
Rix is quick to credit Jay Pinto, a local music producer, with discovering him and connecting him to Heavy Hitters, a Los Angeles-based music publisher. Heavy Hitters, in turn, has sought to find spots in movies and television shows during which Rix’s songs could air.
“He’s really mentored me and taught me how to write broadcast-quality songs,” said Rix, who’s also been networking through the group “Songwriters in Seattle,” which boasts more than 300 members. “I like to help people and to learn from them.”
Rix described his music as a blend of influences, from folk rock, bluegrass and country to classical, but he noted that musical scores for TV shows and movies practically represent their own genre.
“There’s a specific way of writing those songs so that they’ll play a secondary role to what’s happening on the screen,” Rix said. “Some people can find it frustrating, but I think it’s a great challenge.”
Rix encouraged aspiring area songwriters to check out the Songwriters in Seattle website at www.songwritersinseattle.com, where he has a podcast. Those interested in Rix himself can visit his own website at www.reverbnation.com/davidrixmusic.
