Dana Clark

In a Nutshell

Dana is a singer/songwriter who plays piano, guitar, mandolin, flutes, and sax.  She played the Chicago music scene for nine years and traveled to perform at more than fifty colleges throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. She studied jazz piano with Skip Green and Chicago blues with Erwin Helfer. She has recorded several albums/CDs of original music, and produced two CDs on the theme of peace for A Season for Nonviolence.  For her dedication to peacemaking through music she was awarded the Bahai Unity of Humanity Award in 2010 and was nominated for the Martin Luther King Distinguished Achievement Award in 2007.  She has published two songbooks of her compositions, and her songs have been included in several books published by the Unity and Unitarian Universalist churches.  Her non-fiction articles about music have appeared in a number of newsletters and in the book Insights on the Journey by Maureen Leach.  She has a full teaching schedule of vocal and instrumental students and presents music workshops for adults.  She served for nine years as Music Director at the Unity Church of San Antonio, where she led the band “Synergy.”  In 2011 she was “Artist in Residence” for SWUUSI, the Southwest Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute, where her duties included directing the choir, playing two solo concerts, providing music for numerous worship services, and giving workshops for children and youth.

The Whole Story

Dana Clark is a multi-instrumentalist with a knack for writing songs that express contemporary spiritual themes in language that engages the intellect and music that touches the heart.  She says, “I believe music is magic. I believe music can work miracles.  I believe music can help us remake the world.”  She has a long history of putting those beliefs into action.  In her role as Local Task Force Leader for A Season for Nonviolence, Dana produced two compilation CDs of music from New Thought singer-songwriters: “Increase the Peace” and “Peace Is Our Birthright.”  Sales of these CDs still benefit the San Antonio Peace Center.  While working with a coalition of community groups, she helped organize numerous events to raise awareness of peace and social justice issues, staged many performances of the Peace Choir, which she founded, and played music for a rally with Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson.  On 9-11-2006 she organized and conducted the music for the Centennial Celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha, at which over 150 singers and musicians performed together.  In 2007 Dana was nominated for the Martin Luther King Distinguished Achievement Award for her work with the Peace Choir.  In 2010 she was awarded the Bahai Unity of Humanity Award for using her powerful songwriting to work for peace.  

On the Chicago music scene for nine years in the eighties, Dana played clubs, hotels, and coffeehouses around the city and traveled to perform at more than fifty colleges throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.   In Chicago she recorded her first album of original songs, “New Shoes” after studying piano with Erwin Helfer, legendary for his traditional Chicago blues style, and Skip Green, one of Chicago’s most respected teachers of jazz. In addition to piano, she sings and plays guitar, mandolin, flutes, and sax.  

Her songs have been published in several songbooks:  Earth and Spirit Songbook edited by Jim Scott, May This Light Shine by Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network, and Special Services and Chants Vol. 1, by the Association of Unity Churches.  Her non-fiction articles about music have appeared in the newsletter of independent filmmaker Kell Kearns, and in the book Insights on the Journey: Trauma, Healing, and Wholeness, www.salsa.net/peace/ebooks.  Her writing on “The Healing Power of Music” appeared in the Sound Connections Newsletter from Unity Association of Churches. She has published two songbooks of her original compositions.

Through her private lessons and workshops for children and adults she helps others learn to express themselves musically.  Dana believes that music is nothing less than the first language of every human being.  For her, making music is an essential part of the human experience, not the exclusive privilege of those with special talents.  Her teaching method has been influenced by her training in Orff Schulwerk, and by the principles of human learning she absorbed while completing her B.A. and M.A. degrees in Psychology from Southern Illinois University.  For over twenty years she has taught private lessons for students of piano, guitar, flute, and voice.  For eight years she taught the popular “Music Making” class for San Antonio Academy’s Summer Program.   She has given workshops in songwriting, vocal technique, peace-making with music, the healing power of music, keyboard harmony and improvisation.  Her music class for adults provides them with the support and experience they need to become adept in playing with an ensemble.

For nine years she served as Music Director for the Unity Church of San Antonio, where she led the band “Synergy.”  With long time musical partner Kevin Lewis on guitar and bass she performs around San Antonio with the high energy five piece jazz group they founded, “The Lewis and Clark Musical Expedition.”  She is a member of the group “Women of the Heart” along with percussionist Wave Harless and singer/songwriter Kit Holmes from Austin.  For the last two years this group has headlined the popular Women’s Retreats at U Bar U Retreat Center near Kerrville, Texas.    A recent participant wrote:  “I don't think I've ever heard music that had such transformative lyrics while being so musically groovy. I was very impressed and inspired.”  In 2011 she was “Artist in Residence” for SWUUSI, the Southwest Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute, where her duties included directing the choir, playing two solo concerts, providing music for numerous worship services, and giving workshops for children and youth.