Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Hancock.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dawn. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Music has always been a part of my life. From a very young age, I was drawn to various instruments and took advantage of every opportunity I had to sing or play. I took lessons for a while, for both piano and flute, but I found the rigid structure frustrating, so I didn’t stick with them. At one point, I wanted to be able to accompany myself when singing so I taught myself how to play chords. This eventually led to my discovery that I could write music.
It is such an amazing gift, something that I feel wholly unqualified to steward. It feels like music chose me, rather than the other way around. The first time I wrote a song, and every time since can only be described as transcendent. Many times I have sat at the keys to write and have ended up effortlessly playing and singing something that sounds like it was already written. Like it already existed somewhere and just found its way into our world through me. Even though I have been writing music for almost 15 years, I only recently started recording and releasing my songs. Music is such a powerful force and since it chose me, of all people, I have to believe what I write isn’t just for my benefit but can also bring light to other people.
Music is also a critical part of how I process life, which is why writing is so cathartic for me. Every song I write is a time capsule of what I was going through in that moment. I feel like I’m an alchemist – I take what life gives me and I transform it into something different and beautiful.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Anyone who has heard my music will immediately know I have faced struggles, the most acute of which have been my own health challenges. Although I have come so far, it sometimes feels like my body is working against me. When I was recording my first EP, my health struggles were such that there were days when I couldn’t even talk. It was so ironic to face something that took away my voice when I was working so hard to release it into the world. My song Bury Me on that EP was written out of this experience – where it felt like something was trying to choke the life out of me.
It’s interesting that some of my best work has come out of my darkest moments. Looking back on everything I have written, I don’t think I would have been able to create what I have created without being well acquainted with the darkness. So while I have had to come to terms with my health battles, and every other challenging thing life has thrown my way, I have to recognize these challenges as the creative catalysts they have been. In a way, this brings some meaning to the suffering.
The other difficult thing about writing music, at least the way I write is that it is incredibly vulnerable. When I write something, I feel like I am giving the world a view into the deepest, and often darkest, recesses of my soul. When I first started releasing music I felt very exposed, and it was honestly terrifying. It’s the real-life version of the dream where you show up to work naked. Ultimately, what helped me cope with this was the realization that I don’t write music for myself, I write it for other people. If something I write can have a positive impact on someone, then it is worth overcoming this fear.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I make cinematic music. Imagine an epic film score with vocals and that is my niche. I released my first EP, Reborn, earlier this year, and we just wrapped up production on my second EP, which should be out in early fall. My music is unique not just because of the very specific musical style, but because of the lyrics and the story that is told in each song. When I write something, I want the listener to feel something. I want it to cut deep. Even though there is obvious struggle and darkness in many of my songs, there is always a glimmer of hope weaved into each one. I want people to hear something I write and know that they are not alone in their struggle and they can make it. They can pull through.
My writing process is so transcendent it doesn’t feel right to take the credit, but I am proud of the lyrics in my songs. I consider myself a writer first, a vocalist second, and a pianist/instrumentalist third. I am forever grateful to the infinite source of music that chooses to create through me.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have so many amazing childhood memories. I have been blessed with an incredible family, and we are all each other’s best friends. One of my favorite memories was when my parents surprised my sister and I and took us to Disneyland. They told us we were going on an errand and next thing we knew, we were at the airport headed to California. I also have so many memories of being in the car with my mom and sister before and after school singing songs about the continents or other educational topics. My mom was a teacher and she never wasted a moment where she could be shaping our young minds! I also remember the first time I went on a run with my dad. I was maybe seven years old and I had decided I wanted to be a runner like my daddy. I remember we ran about 2 miles, and my dad at one point asked me if I wanted to stop, which I refused to do. To this day, I still love Disneyland, can name all the continents in alphabetical order and am an avid runner.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dawnhancock.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/thedawnhancock
- Facebook: facebook.com/thedawnhancock
- Twitter: twitter.com/thedawnhancock
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
