My Music Story

---

It has been a fabulous journey that I have traveled with music. 

I started writing guitar music when I was 11 years old in Kewanee, Illinois when my sister gave me a discarded guitar. I bought a tuning fork, a Beatles’ chord book, and taught myself how to play. I wrote a few songs with a childhood friend, and at 13 wrote my first solo song, “She Is Gone,” when my mother died. Later, I was part of a high school band called “The Tangerine Doorknobs.” I played and wrote some during college and grad school then took a creative break for 25 years. 

In late 2015, I began composing and writing songs again daily – at home, on the road, in airports, hotels and historic towns. I travel with a Taylor GS Mini Koa wood guitar. 

In 2021, I published my first book of lyrics: Heart Tones.  The book includes more than 60 songs and music for acoustic guitar and voice that I wrote between 2017 and 2021. Heart Tones is available for sale on Amazon.com as an ebook or paperback. For signed copies, find me at an event. 

In 2021, I founded the West Michigan Songwriters Festival with Nashville songwriter and educator Steve Leslie to raise awareness of songwriting as an art form. Our first festival was held in September 2021 and included a workshop and two nights of performances by nationally award-winning songwriters.  The mission of the festival is to establish a foundation with the goal of providing educational scholarships for children. Look for workshops and more in April and October 2022. 

In early 2022, I released a new album of recent songs. We recorded these in Nashville with a 10-piece professional backup band and singers.  The CD "At Sandy's Restaurant" by Daniel S. Terry is available online and is distributed to more than 35 online music stores and streaming services. It is available as a CD, MP3, or USB. Also, look for signed copies at my events. 

Follow my Facebook page, Instagram or YouTube channel for the newest videos and events.

I am blessed by all the music friends and supporters in my life. Thank you for joining me on my music journey!

Look for live performances on my EVENTS page. More videos coming every month!  Check out my YouTube channel Daniel S Terry