If you’ve spent time in Wyandotte’s music scene, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Gabriel Pilon. Whether behind a keyboard, running a karaoke mic, DJing a packed fundraiser, or producing a summer music series, Gabriel is tuned in.

Born April 8, 1973, Gabriel spent his first year in Wyandotte before relocating.

“We moved to the Oakwood neighborhood in southwest Detroit, near Gonella’s and Giovanni’s,” he said. “I’m the youngest of five. A few of my brothers already played guitar, so I started with the piano. I had to find my own lane.”

He began recording music in sixth grade. During high school at Flat Rock, he made a bold move: leaving school to pursue music full time. He went on to write and record a full-length album and perform vocals and synths with the prog-rock band Lunar Crush.

“It was a leap of faith,” he said.

Years later, Gabriel finished school and went on to college for social media marketing, adding formal education to a life already built around music.

Gabriel returned to Wyandotte in 2004, living on 1st Street.

“Some people may remember Moose the Cat, our adventurous feline who was a local celebrity,” he said. “Moose even had his own Facebook following. We’d see him hanging out around town, even inside bars. It was hilarious.”

Today, Gabriel’s home studio is a personal creative space where he writes, performs, records, and produces his own music. He also scores projects for TV and film and occasionally collaborates with independent artists.

“I love using sound to build worlds,” he said.

These days, Gabriel and his wife Rebecca run Audial Entertainment, providing DJ, karaoke and event production for weddings, celebrations and community events. Locally, they produce Sunday Socials and 3rd Friday Movie Nights through a partnership with the Wyandotte DDA and sponsorship from Michigan Legacy Credit Union.

Maple Street Tavern is home to his popular karaoke night, part of a dozen karaoke gigs his company runs.

“Karaoke can be everyone’s mini-rockstar moment,” he said. “It’s an adrenaline rush and an emotional nostalgia machine. I love the occasional random powerhouse performance.”

Beyond music, Gabriel and Rebecca are raising five children. The family spends much of their time in Wyandotte enjoying all the city has to offer, with the occasional vacation to Horsehead Lake in Mecosta County, Michigan.

“Friendships, sandbars, it’s pure joy,” he said.

Deeply influenced by Prince, particularly “Parade” and “Sign o’ the Times”, Gabriel is finishing a solo pop album set for release later this year. He also hosts the podcast “Under the Cover”, exploring iconic cover songs from Chris Cornell’s acoustic “Nothing Compares 2 U” to Johnny Cash’s “Hurt.”

From performing live to film scores, from weddings to summer music series, Gabriel Pilon continues shaping Wyandotte’s soundtrack one song at a time.

“If I can help someone step up to a microphone and discover something about themselves, to me, that’s magic,” he said.

To contact Gabriel go to Gabriel@audialentertainment.com