06/04/2026
Behind the Music & the Board at Pointe Break
Featuring Vice President Dustin Case
Questions & Words by Terri Williams
I first met Dustin as a musician and thought his quiet, steady demeanor would be a great fit for our organization. I introduced him to the board, and not long after, I nominated him to serve as Sergeant at Arms. When the Vice President position opened, I didn’t hesitate to nominate him again.
Since then, I’ve watched him generously give his time, talent, and energy to Pointe Break and our community. Whether he’s helping behind the scenes or stepping up when something needs to be done, he does it without looking for recognition.
I thought it was time everyone got to know the man behind the title :
🎵 You first joined the board as Sergeant at Arms before becoming Vice President. What made you want to get involved with So. Cal. Pointe Break Music?
A: I’ve always felt compelled to find ways of using music to enrich the lives of others. I almost declined because I’m already pretty busy, but the San Pedro community has been so welcoming and I knew this is how I could give back in a meaningful way.
🎵 You’ve volunteered countless hours and played multiple events for free. Why is supporting local music important to you?
A: Inspiring people in their own neighborhood through pure passion for your art can be more powerful than a fancy concert with expensive lights and pyrotechnics. I hope to push people to take a leap of faith on themselves and pursue their own dreams. Local events let you truly connect with the people you hope to inspire with the energy you release. By attending and creating local events, you open the door for others, even creating opportunities beyond music.
🎵 What’s something people don’t see that goes into helping run a community music organization?
A: Meetings, constantly asking for help, aggressively promoting, pushing tickets, and worrying about a lot of things that wouldn’t matter otherwise. You have to really want to create change to keep going.
🎵 When you’re sitting quietly at a board meeting, what’s usually going through your mind?
A: I’m generally thinking of what I can offer when topics come up, whether it’s insight or a connection. Complex processing is one of my autistic traits, so I really take what people say and turn it over 100 times before offering responses.
🎵 What’s one lesson music has taught you that helps you in leadership?
A: Fake it till you make it. Really. You hear it all the time and life is really about taking a leap of faith and believing you’ll get through it. After awhile, you start to understand what you’re doing, but you have to fake it at first.
🎵 If you weren’t playing music, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
A: Probably writing books or poetry. I excelled in English and Literature and creating stories has always been a part of my persona. I wrote a lot of stories in high school and college.
🎵 You’ve got one foot in the nonprofit world and one foot in the community. Do those two sides of your life influence each other?
A: Absolutely. Of course Pointe Break has had some events where I or my band played, but I’ve learned a lot about organizing and networking beyond my previous level. There have been multiple instances of people I’ve never met knowing things about me or Breakaway State, so the networking piece has expanded beyond my personal interactions.
🎵 What are three words your friends would use to describe you?
A: Stoic. Complex. Weird.
🎵 What’s a quality you admire most in other people?
A: Passion. I love people who genuinely get excited about something they’re doing and want to share with others.
🎵 What song best represents where you are in life right now?
A: Time by Pink Floyd. I thought about this when I got my Ouroboros tattoo. A lot of changes in my life right now. Divorce, firing and searching for a new drummer, helping my son find his way, new apartment, new friends, getting older, etc. The rapid passing of life, realization of mortality, the desperate grab for more meaning to feel purposeful or altruistic.
🎵 Before we see Breakaway State at The Takeover, what’s one thing people should know about you that they probably don’t?
A: I’m a pretty guarded person so there’s tons of secrets in there. Something people find interesting is that I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology. When I’m writing songs, I’m usually just studying human behavior and framing it as punk rock.
🎵 Last question: What keeps you saying “yes” when there’s always more work to do?
A: Transitioning from the military to civilian lifestyle floored me and I became depressed. Volunteering and working for nonprofits helped me realize it was service that filled me with purpose. I apply that to any project or organization I work with now. I ask, “Am I going to help people with this somehow?” and if the answer is yes, I will lose sleep and build until that happens.
