Daniel Vincent
Welcome to DVous Music
Daniel Vincent is the driving force behind the DVous Music label. I write, record, and produce a variety of new music that deviates from the mainstream. DVous music is pronounced "Dee vee us" like "devious." It's my initials and a brand play, because my music crosses many genres and doesn't fit a mold. I deviate from the norm.
Daniel played bass drum in the Waynesburg College Marching Band.
The early years
I began taking keyboard lessons at six as a way to help cure my dyslexia. After a few years of lessons and practice, dyslexia was fixed. It sort of helped my brain retrain itself.
Switched on Bach by Walter (now Wendy) Carlos captivated me, as I was taking lessons in Classical music. I wore out the 8-track tape. When I was a teenager, a family friend brought tapes of Pat Metheny, Jean-Michel Jarre, Chick Corea, Tangerine Dream, Keith Jarrett, and Mannheim Steamroller to our home. That convergence of music was captivating to me, because it made me listen beyond the 10 years of Classical training that I was going through. Then I learned about Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Prince, Chaka Khan, Alan Parsons, and others that sparked my love for dance music as well.
Daniel receives a Jazz Ensemble award from Waynesburg College band director, Bill Parker
College and intro to Jazz
The jazz band director at Waynesburg University invited me to sit in, and I quickly got hooked on jazz. Our band was one of the best in the nation. I found myself playing at presidential inauguration events.
We were invited to a competition against several large universities at the University of Maryland. We were given a piece of music that was written just for the competition, and we had 45 minutes to learn and rehearse it. One of the judges was the great composer, writer, and director, Marvin Hamlisch.
Since my training was in Classical, I had mastered site reading and listening but I never learned chords. The music we were about to play had no notes for my piano part! My band director calmly told me to read the route note of the chord and listen to the band to feel my way through the tune. It worked! I learned my first improvisation with Marvin Hamlisch judging. The experience took my musical interests to new heights!
I played with several professional musicians in and around Pittsburgh, and I did solo gigs for events. Many years later, I find myself composing and recording my own music.
Why do I do it?
With a love for visual arts, photography, and video, I have begun this journey to share my creations with the world. Many sounds, rhythms, deep textures, silent moments, and originality are my passion that draws inspiration from many artists and experiences.