When asked at 2 years old what she wanted to be when she grew up, Dana proudly announced that she wanted to be a SINGER. Born and raised in Mississippi Dana began taking piano lessons at 5 years old after her mother was unable to convince any voice teachers to teach her at such a young age. In spite of being from a single parent home Dana was able to continue piano lessons throughout her teenage years thanks to her mother’s dedication and belief that the lessons were necessary. Today, Dana’s sweet spot is sitting at the piano singing.

At just 12 years old Dana began playing for churches and choirs. Then at around 15 she wrote her first song, entitled “J-O-Y”. Reflecting on the title of her first song, Dana says that it makes sense that that would be her first song because singing and music brings her such joy.

In spite of having a love of music early on, Dana ultimately decided to study Chemistry in college because her parents (like many parents) felt that music was not a viable career. She spent her days in the lab and her nights performing on the campus of Jackson State University where she was a student. Weekends were spent playing and singing at area churches. While in college she earned an internship in Berklee, CA where she met her husband, Damian. Now she was spending her days in a US Department of Energy lab and weekends playing and singing in church – just 3,000 miles from home.

After graduating with her BS in Chemistry, Dana eventually returned to school for her masters. This time the school was in Atlanta, GA where she currently resides. She enrolled at The Interdenominational Theological Center and earned the Master of Divinity with a concentration in Worship and Homiletics. In 2002 she was ordained a minister of the Gospel.

Dana’s songs are about life, love, and pain. Her goal is always to inspire, uplift, and provide listeners with an outlet to release negative emotions while calming the soul. She draws inspiration from her faith in God, from her husband and two kids, friends and family. Essentially her sound is a cool vibe that gives your ears that comforting feeling of finally being home.

Although she is a classically trained pianist, her deepest musical roots are in Gospel and Soul with artists like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin. Fans of Jill Scott and Heather Headley will get a warm, fuzzy feeling from her mix of Piano and Vocal sprinkled with Spoken Soul. Dana sums up her music as simply this: Faith Artistically and Musically Expressed. In case you missed it, go ahead and click the video above to find out more about the woman behind the voice.