Get to know me

How did you first become interested in making music?

When I was very young, living in Texas, my grandparents had a record

player and a lot of classical recordings. I listened to the Leonard Bernstein

Young People’s Concerts on TV and played lots of music records. More

importantly, they had a piano and I was fascinated with it. I was only 4

years old, but I loved experimenting with the keys on that piano. I

composed my first little piano piece on that piano at 4 years old. I was

hooked.

How long have you been performing and making music?

As a child of 4, I was an unapologetic ham, banging on the keys for anyone

who would listen. That unfortunately for some has continued to this day.

Tell us about some of the bands you have been in.

The first band I formally played in was for a talent show at old North Junior

High in Fort Dodge - piano, trumpet and clarinet. I played the trumpet. We

were pretty good as I remember.

The first pro band I was a member of was HAWKS, which signed to

Columbia Records in 1980 and released two albums in ’81 and ’82. We had

a chart single, “Right Away” and an album radio charted song “It’s All Right,

It’s OK” (which I wrote) both from the self-titled first album. All the

members were from the Fort Dodge area, except for our guitarist from Des

Moines via Minneapolis. We were inducted into the Iowa Rock’N’Roll Music

Association Hall of Fame in 2007.

The Frontier Fiddle Band was an old-time and original outfit led by Shadric

Smith in which I played the accordion. We played all over Iowa in the mid-

80’s and 90’s, especially at the Fort Museum in Fort Dodge, where we were 2

the house band playing civil war era folk tunes, western swing and original

compositions.

At that same time I played in a wedding band called Sound Variation. We

played for 14 years around the Fort Dodge area.

I also played in another original music Rock Band called HipKnosis that put

out several albums, and featured Heather Kelly on vocals.

In 2011-2012, I played in a fun R&B/blues band called Wheelhouse with

Shelly Bottorff on lead vocals. We played around Iowa, including opening

for Foreigner and some RAGBRAI events.

Who has the greatest influence on you musically?

In classical music, I listened to Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and particularly

Rachmaninoff. I still love that music, although I gave up formal lessons in

High School - I wanted to follow the path of the Beatles, whom to this day

are the most important influence on my music career. Others range from

The Beach Boys to David Bowie to Willie Nelson. I love all types of pop and

rock, Americana and old R&B and Soul music.

If you had a chance to meet any performer/musician, alive or dead,

whom would you choose?

Number one would be John Lennon. I actually got to meet and work with

Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.

What are some of your musical accomplishments?

I got a perfect score in the National Piano Teachers Guild contest while still

in Junior High.

I played the state fair main stage with HAWKS backing Joan Jett and the

Blackhearts.

I’m an inductee into the Iowa Rock’N’Roll Music Hall of Fame3

I played Shellabration twice, once with Foreigner and once with Huey Lewis

and the News. A third time got rained out when ZZ Top played.

With Shadric Smith’s Billy Buffalo Band we won the regional Country Music

Showdown one year.

What is the most unusual thing to have happened to you during a

show/performance?

I played piano at a wedding that took place at the Vincent House. The

reception was BEFORE the wedding so I played incidental music on the piano

there. During that performance the entire pedal assembly crumbled and fell

off the piano into a pile of sawdust. I had to accompany a vocalist without the

use of any of the pedals. It was hilarious and stressful at the same time.

When did you become interested in songwriting and tell us a little bit

about your music catalog.

I started composing music at age 4 and wrote several small pieces before I

started songwriting, but when the Beatles hit the U.S. in 1964 I wanted to be

them.

My first covered song, “Sister Jane,” was written for the band West Minist’r in

1968 or so.

I wrote a couple of songs for the Frontier Fiddle Band, but my solo recordings

began in the late 1980s with two Christmas albums that are now consolidated

on one CD “Christmas Memories;” “Soundtrack to an Imaginary Film,” a new

age record; “The Old Iowa Waltz - Piano Solos;” and “Casually Yours,” a

pop/jazz record. These are instrumental albums that I produced in my

recording studio, Silhouette Studios. I played all the instruments on those

records.

In 2010 I released “Songwriter,” the first of my vocal records. That was

followed by “Forgotten Road,” “Mystery Train,” “Now and Again,” and “Hearts

get Broken.” All together I have written and recorded some 70 released songs.

Where can we listen to your music?

All of my music is available online at the main music streaming services such as

Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and Amazon Music. You can purchase

downloads at Apple and Amazon. I have limited numbers of CDs of most of the

albums if anyone wants actual CDs. Email dhearn3@mac.com

Tell us a little bit about your songwriting process. What works for you?

What doesn’t?

I work at a keyboard controller with an Apple Macintosh computer full of

digital instruments, music plugins and my main Music Recording Software,

Digital Performer by MOTU. I start with the musical ideas first and the lyrics

come later. I am most comfortable working alone, but I have collaborated

on a few tunes. “The Old Iowa Waltz” was written with Shadric Smith, and

recently we collaborated long distance on a song called “The Oldtime

Walkin’ Blues.” I worked in my studio and he in his and Shadric sent his

tracks over the internet to me and I put it all together and mixed it in my

studio.

I can’t get comfortable writing music to lyrics that already exist. In my

whole life I wrote only one song that way, “Wynken Blynken and Nod” with

lyrics from an old poem by Eugene Field.

What has been the hardest lesson to learn when it comes to music and

performing?

The hardest thing for me is playing and singing at the same time as a solo

artist. I’ve done it a few times but I’m not cut out for that. Playing in a band is

different. That’s pretty easy for me. Staying in time is a hard lesson to learn!

What advice would you give to someone that is interested in

songwriting?

Just start doing it. Learn to play a little piano or guitar and work on singing and

playing at the same time. Write the lyrics first if you want to. It works for Elton

John! He writes to someone else’s lyrics almost exclusively. Don’t be afraid to

collaborate. Most contemporary hit songs are co-written. If what you write

doesn’t seem very good at first, keep writing. Finish each song, no matter how

bad it seems. Then write another one! Keep going. It’s lots of fun!