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Monday, September 18, 2006

MIGRATION, NEW BLOG SITE...
I'm in the process of migrating all of my web presence to dantanmusic.com. Everything is scattered, but gradually becoming centralized. The merging of my personal and public lives in virtual space. An attempt to streamline, and simplify. The blog will be migrating to my own server at http://blog.dantanmusic.com . This blog here on Blogger will no longer be updated.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Oliver Twist Open Mic, Thursday, June 1, 2006
So I've decided to give open mics another try after a long hiatus. Went to see an old friend, Rebecca Lynne, perform last night in Durham, along with Dawn McDaniel Graff, and Jeff Mandler. Haven't seen Rebecca for ages. Rebecca told me that the Oliver Twist open mic is the best open mic she's been to, so I'm going to give it a shot.

Local radio station 100.7 hosts the open mic, and will actually play their favorite songs from the open mic on Sunday nights at 11pm on 100.7. Maybe I'll make it on the radio. Regardless, I'm curious to see what the open mic at Oliver Twist is like.

Come on out if you can! Drop me a line to tell me if you're planning on showing up. My apologies for the "underaged", Oliver Twist is probably 21-and-up only.

Oliver Twist
8111-137 Creedmoor Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27613
Phone
(919) 844-4426

Google Maps link to strip mall shopping center


(100.7's Singer/Songwriter Open Mic information)

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Whoa! Looks like the Six String Cafe is resurrecting!

Helios Six String Café


Helios Coffee Company
413 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC

is merging with

Six String Café and Music Hall
Formerly of MacGregor Village, Cary, NC

For Release May 16, 2006

Helios Coffee Company and The Six String Café and Music Hall have
announced a joint venture that will combine the two companies. The
combination brings together Raleigh's premier coffee house with one
of the Southeast's leading music venues. This summer construction
will begin for the new Six String Café Music Hall on the second floor
of Helios Coffee's building at 413 South Glenwood Avenue. When the
expanded facility is ready this fall, customers will be able to
enjoy:

• the finest coffees and espresso in the Triangle (AOL On Line,
2006)
• a state-of-the-art music performance venue, featuring Six
String's stable of national class musicians, playing acoustic music
ranging from bluegrass and folk to rock to jazz and blues
• an upstairs bar overlooking Glenwood South, with all ABC
permits, serving top shelf mixed drinks, fine wines, and beers on tap
• an expanded menu, featuring tapas and fine desserts

The joint venture that brings together Helios Coffee and The Six
String Café is being created by Gray Medlin, who started Helios in
2002, and David Sardinha, who founded The Six String in 2001. Ann
Robinson-Stiles has been named General Manager of Helios Six String
Café and will be in charge of day to day operations.

Gray Medlin commented, "We started Helios to be Raleigh's meeting
place for social gatherings, culture and business in a friendly,
relaxed, yet artistically vibrant atmosphere. From the beginning,
art and music have been an important part of Helios. In coming
together with The Six String and its roster of internationally known
musicians, we are confirming our commitment to excellence—whether
it's the finest espresso in town or the very best in acoustic music.
Our expanded facility will give us more room for our customers to
enjoy fine coffee and great food and drink in a setting that offers
the best in art and music. We couldn't be more excited."

Dave Sardinha added, "This joint venture brings together the best of
both of our worlds. We had our challenges at our old Cary location,
both in the space we were using and in the facility itself. The
Glenwood South facility is just what we needed…a great location with
two separate spaces, one focusing on music performance and the other,
a place for folks to gather and have fun. Over the last five years,
more than 1,200 musicians asked to play The Six String because of its
national reputation. We are delighted to be bringing them to a high
quality establishment like Helios."

Construction of the second floor music room and bar is scheduled for
completion in the fall of 2006. Clearscapes, P.A. of Raleigh are the
architects for the project. Medlin and Sardinha plan to begin
producing live shows on a limited basis in Helios existing first
floor space this summer.

For more information, please contact:

Ann Robinson-Stiles, General Manager helioslivemusic@yahoo.com Gray Medlin, 919/828-8200 David Sardinha, 919/522-7965 or dstar@prodigy.net

Friday, March 24, 2006

A few new songs...

There are a few new recordings on the site, again, really quick rough draft recordings. My cousin wanted to use my songs for her wedding, and I had to record them tonight so someone in the Philippines could download them and put them on CD's. One of these days I'll sit down and do a proper CD release, but life gets busy you know... Music is a passion of mine, but I don't need to make a living selling CD's, thank God. I'd rather be playing for a live audience than recording a CD :-).

1. New song "Sweet Union". Don't get it confused with "Sweet Onion", which is not a song, but I should write one just to be able to say I have "Sweet Union and Sweet Onion" in my song list :). Written this past Monday for my cousin and her soon-to-be husband, and yes, it's sort of a wedding song. Wrote it in half-an-hour while I was catching up on email at work Monday morning. Left an email window open, and as phrases popped out of my head, I noted them while multitasking/reading/replying to email. Very upbeat song, I like it :).

2. Old song, "Why Do I Sing", which is one of my favorites to perform. It quite simply explains why I sing, and it's one of a handful of songs that are truly heart songs-- songs that communicate something deeply personal for me. People have often commented that my songs have a sad tinge to them, except that there is also a message of hope and redemption. I write songs about people's lives, I tell the stories God puts on my heart to tell. Sometimes they are my stories, but most of the time they are other's stories, and often they are serious or bittersweet, but there is always hope.

Life is sweet and bittersweet and often very sour-- but God's grace takes broken people and creates something beautiful out of the brokenness. Jesus often ate his meals with the dregs of society when he walked the earth, and his compassion drew some of them to leave their past behind and start anew. I've met a lot of people who have escaped a past that should have left them shattered and crushed. Those are the stories I tell.

"School of Life" is another very personal song, as is "Got to Move On". If you've ever seen me perform them, you might notice that sometimes I'm trembling when the song is over, which is why they are usually at the end of my sets so I can sit down afterwards. Sorry, no recording of "Got to Move On" on the website. If you've heard me perform it, yes, it's a true story. "Why Do I Sing" is a very peaceful, quiet song. Take a listen for yourself. And then, take a listen to "School of Life" to hear what the top of my vocal range is, and why I'm always exhausted after I sing it (it's a live recording of the debut performance, a few minutes after I wrote the song. You can hear the restaurant phone ringing in the middle of my performance :-) ).

3. Very old song, "Simple Phrase". When I started to write songs seriously a few years ago, I wrote three songs in quick succession, and they were my first performance songs at the Six String. The other two were "Thunder Rolls" (not related to Garth Brooks song...) and I think I called the other one "The Goodbye Song". "Simple Phrase" is an unusual song for me, I don't usually write love songs, and the relationship songs I do write are usually more serious ("School of Life", "Fragile"). Like a lot of love songs, it's a sweet song with a lot of repetition. Heh heh.

Is Dan still performing anywhere?


Good question. Regularly, no. The last performance was at Crossroads Fellowship in Raleigh, for a small group from one of their Young Adult fellowships. End of last year I opened for Starting Tuesday at Enloe High School's gymnasium (an FCA event). They're an awesome band, you must check them out. The infrequent performances explain the vast gap in my blog postings.

The Six String Cafe closed in the fall of last year, which eliminated Tuesday night open mics for me. I was very sad to see it close, I learned sooo much from the songwriting community at the Six String. I learned how to refine songs and perform in public. I'll miss the fantastic crowd, the awesome stage, and even playing on the sidewalk outside for random people emerging from the restaurants and bars nearby.

I also miss it because that's where I met people who were honest about their lives, sincere in questions about faith, and not hiding behind facades of polite society. I lost track of the number of people God gave me the opportunity to pray for, who would never have walked through the doors of a church. I miss the random conversations with people trickling out of the restaurants and bars, who would sometimes listen to me practice outside and then sit down and tell me their life story. A lot of crazy things happened to me at the Six String (crazy in a good way, that is). I miss the divine craziness. I still miss it a lot, and it's been several months since it closed. A similar venue doesn't exist around here yet. Where else can I go and perform songs about fallen people and God's redemption immediately after someone sings a song about how absolutely totally messed up the world is, and then sit down with the other performer and have a deep conversation about personal beliefs?

I'd love to perform regularly again, but I'm not performing to gather a fan-base or sell CD's. I'm performing because someone always comes up to me and says "I'm that man in your song, except my life hasn't had any happy endings." Or someone sits down and says, "I understand that song you sang, it speaks to me. It could be my life story. I gave up a baby for adoption when I was sixteen and have spent my whole life trying to make up for it." I sing these songs because when I do, God pulls me into contact with people who desperately want to hear a message of hope in a dark world. It humbles me, and reminds me that I experience God's power most when I step into the unknown.

The only other location I'd recommend for acoustic open mics is Pheasant Creek Coffee in Apex, not too far from where the Six String used to be. See their schedule, some of the old crew from the Six String are performing there on Fridays.

Lyrics for songs posted for wedding

Sweet Union © 2006 Dan Tan (written 3/20/2006)
(verse 1)
A long time ago in a childlike state
Rachel dreamed of the man she would be with some day
Would he be like the rush of a summer-time storm
Or the slow steady feeling of sunlight that warms
Did she know
It would happen this way
The man she loved waiting here on her wedding day

(chorus)
It's the story of life and of love of tears and of pain
But the pain doesn't last and then after the rain
of forgiveness and learning to love once again
God brings His humble children together to sing
Of the miracles, joys, and this wonderful thing
That all present will witness with altar and ring
This sweet union, communion of two souls made one
And a story of life that has only just begun

(verse 2)
Not long ago in a faraway state
Howard thought he might never get married someday
But the course of his life and the touch of God's grace
Led this man to a woman his spirit embraced
Did he know
It would happen this way
This lady he cherished and loved on this radiant beautiful day


School of Life © 2003 Dan Tan

You learned to cry, you learned to laugh
You learned to stop just asking why
You looked for reason you found rhyme
And from your depths you learned to climb

You learned to love, and to forgive
When those you loved they never did
They clipped your wings, confined your heart
But you broke all the walls apart
You learned to fly
You learned to soar
Over all you've seen before
You learned to live
You learned from hate to speak with love
And from the wars to rise above
From constant conflict you learned peace
And prison shackles you released


Why Do I Sing © 2003 Dan Tan
(verse 1)
Why do I sing the songs I do
Why do I play in front of you
Why does my voice have to be heard
Does anyone listen to my words?
(chorus)
This is why I sing the songs I do
Cause I hope to bring to you, to you , to you, to you
A song of hope, a song of peace
This crazy world is so in need
Of more than human hands can bring
Oh this is, this is why I sing
Will my music plant a seed
To bring you to the God I believe?
(verse 2)
When I write these songs I sing,
Sometimes inside I'm screaming
This world can cut you like a knife
That's why I'll always sing of life
So precious and so sweet!

(verse 3)
My songs are tragedies of hope
Stories of mortals here below
Sometimes my songs they tear my soul
Sometimes they make my torn heart whole

Simple Phrase ©2003 Dan Tan

(Intro)
I never thought that I would feel this way
Never occured to me that this day would come
When all my heart's desire would come down only to this
To say these simple words I just can't seem to breathe out loud

(Verse 1)
It's so hard to say such a simple phrase,
I pronounce more complex words everyday
And yet here I stand, I can't make a sound
It's as if I have been lost and I need to be found... by you.
(chorus)
Well I think that I do,
No, actually I know that it's true
I love you
(bridge)
Now that I have said these words
I'll never leave your side
You have been God's gift to me
This love we share the world cannot deny

(verse 2)
Now I've said it once and I'll say it again
For as many times until you comprehend
That these words I speak they're not simple to me
And there are no substitutes to repeat

Friday, August 19, 2005

Kyler England

Official Site: www.kylerengland.com ; Myspace : kylerengland

One of my favorite musicians is in town for a series of gigs, and I'm running sound for an outdoor private house concert tonight. Kyler also opened last week on the side stage for Clay Aiken at Alltel Pavilion, and opens this coming week for Avril Lavrigne! "Mix" 101.5 is also playing an interview and a live performance this Sunday at 7:30pm on Mix 101.5's "Homegrown" radio show. Her new CD of live performances is coming out soon, look for it soon on her site, or preorder at her shows. She plays at the Six String Cafe 8/25/2005 and 8/26/2005, both at 8pm.

Her previous CD, "A Flower Grows in Stone", can be purchased online at Fresh Tracks Music.


Six String Cafe is closing!

Extremely sad news, the Six String Cafe is closing its doors at the end of this month. Kyler will be the last performer, closing out several years of serious acoustic music at a terrific acoustic venue. The Six String is the best acoustic venue in the Triangle, and really the only place for serious acoustic indie fans to find regular shows and a supportive audience. Dave, the owner, will continue to organize shows at other venues, and will be looking for another location. I hope the Six String re-opens in a new permanent location in the near future, but for now I'll be extremely sad to see it go.

When I was playing the open mics regularly, I met a lot of great musicians, great people, and carry with me a ton of fantastic memories.


Corrinne May

Listening to a new artist lately that I found through Kyler's Myspace pages. Corrinne May is apparently a major sensation in Singapore, but is actually based here in the States. Check out Corrinne's music on Myspace, and her very cool website
.




Monday, April 18, 2005

Open Mic @ Six String Cafe

Playing the Open Mic at the Six String Cafe tomorrow (Tuesday). Come on out!

I usually try to play between 8pm to 9pm, it depends on where my name lands on the signup list. Performances start at 7pm, signup is at 6pm for musicians.

My first Six String Open Mic in more than half-a-year. The last open mic's I played were last year in California (Barefoot Coffee Roastery, Red Rock Cafe, Brookdale Lodge).

My vocal range has not quite returned to normal after last month's respiratory illness, but I'll try to squeak out a few tunes.

My friend Jeff Dolan will be there too, we may play together, or separately. He used to be in a band called Remember Jonah, which used to play with Building 429 before they became a big CCM hit (single, "Space Inbetween Us"), and is now leading the brand-new band for Colonial Baptist singles group, called "Leaving Babylon". We played together in a short-lived band
right after I graduated from college. His Remember Jonah bandmates are now doing different things, one is drummer for Building 429, and another was playing with Big Daddy Weave last time I asked.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

North Carolina native (and Enloe H.S. and NC State grad) Kyler England is
returning for a show at the Six String Cafe this Saturday, April 16th, 8pm.
Some of you first heard about her when she and Vienna Teng were touring
together. She returns on this tour with her awesome electric guitarist Alex
McKinney. Blu Sanders will open for her concert (www.blusanders.com).

She is one of my favorite independent artists, and an overall very cool
person to meet. HER SHOWS ARE WORTH GOING TO!!!

Cover is $7 at the door. Doors open at 7:30pm.

More on Kyler: www.KylerEngland.com
Six String Cafe: www.SixStringCafe.com (107 Edinburgh Dr, in MacGregor
Village, Cary, NC, 919-469-3667)

***Performing Songwriter Magazine recently said about Kyler's new record "
'A Flower Grows in Stone' contains 14 compassionate and introspective songs,
all performed with confidence and intimacy." check it out for yourself at
www.kylerengland.com

***1st Place in the 2004 Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest for "If You Want
Me To" (adult contemporary category)

***Winner of the 2002 North Carolina Songwriters Competition

***Kyler's CD named "Best of 2004"...The Indie Acoustic Project named
Kyler's CD "A Flower Grows In Stone" one of the "Best CDs of 2004" in the
Alt Rock category. The Indie Acoustic Project is dedicated to giving
recognition to outstanding innovative acoustic (or mainly acoustic) music
that has never gotten the acclaim that it deserves. www.indieacoustic.com

NEW ALBUM "A Flower Grows In Stone" available:
ONLINE: www.cdbaby.com ,www.amazon.com
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS: www.itunes.com , www.buymusic.com ,
www.musicmatch.com , www.listen.com and many others
IN STORES: Borders Books, Virgin, Tower, Schoolkids,
Record Exchange and lots of indie record stores,
click for stores near you: http://www.kylerengland.com/node.php?id=93

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