D C Davis - Voice COach - Music Mentor

To all the artists I've had the pleasure of working with... 

Thank you for sharing your talent and time with me. I am hoping to hear from some of the wonderful artists I have worked with over the years! I would love to know what you are doing with your lives and your art. Do you have any new music out there in the world? Have you played some awesome show you'd like to tell me about? Have you won any awards in school? How's that last region contest, what college have you picked? Where did we get to meet, was it The Sound Foundation, For those about to Rock School, Vandeventer, Wester? Let me know how you've thrived through the weird times we've been traveling, and most of all, how are you? 

 I have had a long career in music encompassing a variety of styles. I have performed and studied  musical theatre, country, jazz, metal, hard rock, folk, prog-rock, and pop realms. I teach piano, guitar, ukulele, songwriting and performance, as well as integrating voice production with all these various skills. 

My method focuses an emphasis on developing individuality. with a foundation of Bel Canto voice production.

I believe all talent is unique in nature, a blessing to be cultivated. I help my students find their voice, build and strengthen their musicality and their confidence as well as giving them the skill and training to keep their singing voice healthy all their lives. I encourage all my singers to learn an instrument to accompany themselves and deepen their understanding of music.

Many of my voice students are now guitar, ukulele, bass and piano players. I also teach those who have the inclination how to be the best songwriters they can be, knowing the positive effect having a creative outlet is for all the emotions young artists experience.

Physically, they will learn breath, stamina, tone, control, dynamics, ear training and how to pace themselves. Emotionally, they will learn how to bring a song to life.

 

I worked as private coach for middle school choir students at Vandeventer, Wester and Scoggins in Frisco ISD, at The Sound Foundation in Dallas, TX, and at For Those About To Rock School in Southlake, TX.   I am thrilled to still be working with many of these artists online via zoom and skype, due to my relocating to my mother's farm in Kentucky and the ravages of the covid pandemic.

 Many of my students have excelled at leads in their school plays and some have graduated to regional theater or have moved to NYC, LA, and NAshville to work on their careers. Several have carried their choir careers into high school and university, joining a cappella groups, winning awards and working towards careers in music education. Several students have created professional careers as solo artists or as a part of working bands, releasing albums, singles and touring. 

I was trained the Bel Canto method by opera singer parents (who met at New York City Opera). I began performing professionally at age 13 and have never stopped. It has taken walking through the worlds of top 40, country, musical theater, pop, metal, progressive rock, folk, jazz, and musical creations that have yet to be categorized to culminate in the work I am living today.

I perform currently as Darwin Prophet, with a style best defined as Literary Rock. Notable past performances with Darwin Prophet & The Chronus Mirror include A-kon 25, Texas State Railroad Steampunk Convention, Spring Board South 2015, FenCon, Whofest 1, 2,and 3, SXSW, The Austin Teen Book Festival (with keynote speaker Scott Westerfeld),The Difference Engine, The Wild,Wild West Steampunk Event, Panoptikon, Heartland Spirit Festival, Aetherfest, The Mysterium, Hawkfest, All-Con 2013-15, A Jefferson Christmas Ball 2012, The Church in Dallas, and The Nightmare Machine featuring our Oscar Wilde Tribute on the 130 anniversary of his Excelsior House visit.

I was founding member /guitartist/ songwriter and singer in the all female band named Velvet Hammer, who toured extensively through the east & southern states, released two records, as well as being included in several multi-band compilation records, and garnered a coveted $60,000 publishing development deal in L.A.with Island/Polygram. This band created a sound known as "alterna-prog", won several awards from Houston Press and Public News, played SXSW, was courted by most of the major labels and was honored to open shows for Kansas, Robin Trower, Fairport Convention, King's X and Bo Diddley.

I co-wrote and released the symphonic popera, "Butterfly Tree" with Rick Del Castillo of the Tejano juggernaught Del Castillo.

My first "house gig" - a permanent position performing six nights a week - was for the world famous Gilley's nightclub and at its sister club "the Nesadel" in Pasadena,Texas, performing regularly on the live radio show from Gilley's and on the local tv show with Mickey Gilley called "Gilley's Place".

I have been found in off-broadway musicals and was accepted into the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts. I was featured actress in MTV videos(Testament's “Nobody's Fault”) and for Rick Derringer's "Blood from A Stone", a featured extra in the films “Urban Cowboy” & Bad News Bears in "Breaking Training".

I conquered heavy metal as the leader of the band Blacksheep (which started the careers of Blas Elias of Slaughter and Marzi Montazeri of metal supergroup Down, Exhorder and Heavier than Texas), crooned the Big Band sound of the 40's with a 20 piece horn section in the Cary Richards' Orchestra, dazzled the boardwalk in Atlantic City with the show band "Taste", toured with psychedelic-folk act Green Crown, and released a cd and dvd as solo performer Wyrdgrl nationwide at music festivals.

I performed with Seattle's Roger Fisher of Heart in his band Reigning Sun, was heard in jingles and voiceovers in Houston for multiple ad agencies with clients including Foley's, Randall's and Frenchie's Fried Chicken, and starred in one of the most beloved Blue Bell Ice Cream commercials.

I am graduate of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. I am a published songwriter with Peer/Southern Music (who's roster include the songs of Buddy Holly, Jimmie Rodgers, and the Carter family), Polygram/Island Music, and my own ASCAP publishing company, Butterfly Tree Music.

Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself, everyone else is taken.” I dream of the day when each and all of you will “Become someone you believe in.”

discography:

Darwin Prophet - "Haloseum" (cd) - Darwin Prophet (DC Davis) - vocals, guitars, keyboard, bass, samples, producer & composer - Under the Bed Records - released 2022 - 14 songs inspired by a variety of muses, Torchwood, Doctor Who, Andy Warhol, and many others. Additional contributing artists : Eric Ward - horns, James Mahaffey - bass, Beth Patterson - french voice, bass &  Lewis D'Aubin - drums and engineer/production (for COG Secret Lab, Louisiana) 

Darwin Prophet - "Oscar Wilde's Serenade" (cd) Darwin Prophet (DC Davis) - vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, samples, producer & composer - Under the Bed Records -released -2011 13 piece retrospective of Oscar Wilde Poems and fairy tales transformed into songs.

Darwin Prophet - "Don't Panic" (cd) Darwin Prophet (DC Davis) - vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, samples, producer & songwriter - Under the Bed Records -released -2010 The birth of Literary Rock with homage to Douglas Adams, Gene Roddenberry, Yoda, Greek Mythology and other literary muses.

Wyrdgrl - "Medusa & Other Things" (dvd) DC Davis - vocals, songwriter, live performances and videos Compilation of videos for the single Medusa and live performances, pictures, alternative versions of songs released on Cosmic Radio. Produced by Anders Johannson/ Winter Twin released 2006

Wyrdgrl – “Cosmic Radio" – (cd) DC Davis- vocals,guitars,keyboards,bass,songwriter Producers: Barry Coffing,Uprising Studios- L.A.,CA./ Eric Leikam,Frodis Room,Austin,TX/ Rick Del Castillo, Smilin Castle Studios,Austin,TX/ Trickster,Wiccabilly Studios,Austin,TX. released 2005

"Embryosis" (cd) DC Davis -vocals,guitar,songwriter recorded live at Eagle Audio, Austin,Tx. girl & guitar, eclectic original rock limited release-1999

Butterfly Tree- "Butterfly Tree"- (cd) DC Davis-lead vocals,songwriter Rick Del Castillo-lead instrumentalist,songwriter.producer Symphonic Pop duo,ten original songs. Smilin' Castle Records-released 1997

Velvet Hammer- "Storybook" -(cd) DC Davis-vocals,guitar,songwriter Ginger Doss-vocals,keys Lynda Millard-vocals,bass,flute Progressive rock band,thirteen original songs. Produced by Velvet Hammer with special guest producers: Ty Tabor (King's X) and Roger Fisher (Heart) Glass Umbrella Records-released 1997

Velvet Hammer- "Velvet Hammer-LIVE"-(cd) recorded live at Steamboat (on 6th street) Austin, Texas Eight original songs. Produced by Velvet Hammer Glass Umbrella Records-released 1995

Go On Girl- (cd) compilation cd from New York featuring Velvet Hammer 100% Fret Free Records- released 1995 Go On Girl 2-Class of 1997 -(cd) compilation cd from New York featuring Velvet Hammer 100% Fret Free Records- released 1997

Local Lick Live '95- (cd) KLBJ's compilation of Austin bands featuring Velvet Hammer Rival Records- released 1995

Music is the Magick,Magick Weaves the Spell -(cd) Compilation of performances from Heartland Spirit Festival featuring Butterfly Tree released 1999

If you are interested in scheduling a session, please write to    dcdavismusic@gmail.com  

SINGING/SONGWRITING /PERFORMANCE/ GUITAR/ PIANO/ UKULELE 

I am available for ZOOM, SKYPE or in person if you are able to come to Georgetown, KY! 

Tv shows with my former bands Velvet Hammer and Butterfly Tree and the Blue Bell commercial

 

A video from filmmaker Timothy Stevens of my song, " Ma Bete ", an homage to Jean Coucteau and the magnificent film, La Belle et La Bete, music produced by Heart's Roger Fisher... Medusa video by Danny Dale, music produced by Anders Johansson, and my MTV acting debut in Testament's "Nobody's Fault" directed by Sam Taylor.