"Reunion Blues gig bags, they looked serious.The insides were soft and lined with this blue fabric cushion, and the outside was sleek, stealthy and fit perfectly on your back. I actually saw one of these get thrown off a building! I had no idea that soft cases like this ever existed. I wanted one so bad. But again, these were for the guitar majors right? I wasn’t a guitar major, at least not yet. But that was the motivation I needed to help push my practicing further. Silly as it sounds, I wanted to be considered good enough to carry one of those guitar cases around. It felt like a rite of passage to me." I practiced until I bled, 7-8 hours a day for almost a whole year. I auditioned for two music schools, and ended up enrolling at Berklee College of Music in 2013. The day I got my acceptance letter was the day I purchased my first Reunion Blues Continental Guitar Soft Case. 

I took it everywhere with me. It was my default guitar case for every reason. Since 2013, this gig bag has been to every rehearsal, every gig, every tour I’ve ever been to. With me, it has flown across the United States, to England, Spain, Italy, Romania, and even Greece. I still have it and use it to this day, and it has absolutely stood the test of time. I imagine I can get another decade out of it if not two.

Also, here’s another pro tip: if you’re looking at getting one of these guitar cases, you don’t need to be “good enough” to get one. You already are. Absolutely get one; you will use it for decades."

To say Darro Chea, aka alt/rock songwriter/guitarist, Darro, has faced an uphill battle would be an understatement.  Three days after returning to the US from grad school abroad, the Asian-American musician and producer was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The rehabilitation process sent him back to square one, having to learn to speak, chew, and sing all over again. Telling his story through music,  Darro was featured on Billboard for his video, "You're Not Insane" and continues to share more music based on his experiences, including his newest single, “Paralyzed.”

It's not unusual for young artists to overcome hardship. In many cases, it's character-building. But few will ever face obstacles quite as daunting as those that confronted Darro. While studying music in Spain, the pop-punk singer-songwriter was diagnosed with a serious brain tumor. After surgery, treatment, and an arduous recovery, he's made it out the other side, and he's singing and playing as exuberantly as he ever has. But an experience like that leaves indelible marks on a person's psyche. Some artists might run from that, or try to obscure it; Darro, forthright as he is, is determined to use his platform to inspire others to stand up to the challenges that confront them.

After gaining attention from his latest single release “You’re Not Insane,” Darro has released yet another track born from the hardships of his brain tumor, this one titled “Undefined.” The track is a highlight of the upcoming Songs Of Recovery, a set of originals that address Darro's journey in powerful, straightforward language that anyone can relate to.  Against all odds, he's come through his ordeal with his sense of self intact."

On “Paralyzed,” Darro states, "I wrote this song after having my first panic attack in New York City. I had only been in the city for about two months, and I only had two friends in the entire city, and I just had brain surgery like less than six months ago. I definitely moved here way too soon because I was still dealing with PTSD from the whole tumor situation, and it was in the middle of winter.”

He continues, “I was doing something really boring, like walking to the grocery store, and I just remember seeing all of these faces in the street and no one was looking at me or noticing me, and it just felt like I didn't exist. And I was really scared because I just left the comfort of my home after the surgery and decided to move to one of the biggest cities in the world, and I felt really small and alone. And then I felt really guilty because my mom wanted me to stay longer but I was too restless, and now I felt like I needed to prove to her that it was a good decision to come to New York. And I also felt anxious about failing, and having gone through all that trauma for nothing. This song sort of encompasses a lot of those feelings for me. I like to describe the track as the feeling of screaming at a wall but no one is around to hear you."

Darro’s music is a reflection of the journey he’s endured. An inspirational figure for all his fans, Darro has conquered the unimaginable, including graduating from Berklee with a Bachelor’s in Guitar Performance and Music Production/Engineering; and a Master’s in Contemporary Guitar Performance. 

His first EP Nostalgia was recorded/released in 2017, shortly after jaw surgery and reflected upon challenges he was having at the time. With poppy melodies and crafty guitars, he taps into a realm of progressive and pop rock, integrating anthemic elements from bands like Paramore and My Chemical Romance with emotionally-expressive guitar work inspired by John Mayer and wizards like Steve Vai.  The newer music, including “You're Not Insane,” focuses on his struggles post brain surgery and how it has affected his life.