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Dana Agnellini: My Story

If you want to get to know me a little better, go out and rent the movie "Moonstruck". I am an Italian guy from New Jersey raised in an Italian Bread Baking Family.

I picked up my first guitar at 13 yrs old (just to impress the babes). Within a year or so I was in my first rock band (Prism). We were the worst! Real KISS wannabees. But we impressed the babes...so I stuck with it.

At the age of 16 I discovered Bruce Springsteen, and that's when I knew that I wanted to be a songwriter. The words and music were such a powerful inlfuence on my life that I wanted to be able to share my soul with others in that way. That's when my love affair with writing music began.

Family trumped music for many years and I let it all go.  No regrets...three amazing children lots of love in my life and a "real job".  Life was good..but the music in my soul would not lay dormant any longer.

In the early 90's I visited a Unity church and I was hooked.  The practical, inclusive, and universal message was just what I needed to re-kindle my latent spirituality and my latent musical talent.

I began composing, and performing music at church and that was the birth of my songwriting style...subtle yet insightful spiritual messages nestled in a bed of acoustic rock/pop with a touch of country and a splash of blues. 

In 2005, a miracle occurred in my life.  In the midst of of a very low point in my life, I called out to God in angry prayer.  You see my life was falling apart yet at the same time my music was flowing and I kept getting the intuitive message that I was to pursue the music with all my heart and energy.  In that moment of spriritual surrender,  I was gifted with spontaneous piano playing skills.  I began playing a song automatically...without any concept of what I was doing...didn't even know what song I was playing!  When I collected myself and tuned into the song it was..."Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen...my theme song.

Shortly after that episode I was performing a song at church and Irene Myers, a church member, came to me after service with tears in her eyes and a check in her hand.  She offered me $500 and encouraged me to record my music so the world could hear it!

Well, after years of doubt, responsibility, fear and procrastination, I got the message loud and clear.  I booked a flight to Nashville and recorded my first CD, "One Light at a Time".  Since then Ihave recorded two more, "For the Light" and "River of Dreams" and been featured as a contributing author in the book "Living the Law of Attraction".

I have grown so much as a person and an artist and I have been so blessed with a new lease on life.

Now I spend over 40 Weekends a year as a guest speaker and musician at various church services and functions as well as concerts, festivals, parties, youth events, pretty much any where that spirit calls me to be. 

I thank God for the gifts I've been given and I vow to be a humble servant and share my music and message with all those that need to hear it.