D.N.A.
Lately, one of my favorite hobbies has been making music with my dad. We create instrumental guitar pieces which are either covers of songs we love, or original compositions from scratch. Music has always been the heartbeat of my family. My dad was the lead guitarist of a psychedelic rock band, so growing up, instruments were as much a part of my life as toys. While some kids played with Barbies, I was surrounded by guitars, amps, different instruments, and vinyl records.
Family gatherings were never complete without a jam session. My dad and his three brothers would bring their guitars, setting up in the living room or garage for an impromptu performance. At home, if my dad wasn’t playing one of his 12 guitars, then there was always a vinyl record spinning in the background. There was never a silent moment in our house, not in a chaotic way, but in a way that felt warm and alive.
My dad and started making music together last year, and now, it’s an obsession. The moment I land back home when I visit, we head straight into the studio, and if we’re not learning a new cover, we’re crafting something original. Our creative process is fluid, and we don’t follow strict guidelines. We just start with a core melody that feels right, then experiment by layering different elements. We find places to build tension with loud and quiet moments, adding bass, electric guitar, mandolin, or even experimenting with slides and distortion for new sounds. Once the foundation is set, we assign each other parts to practice and perfect before recording the final version.
We decided to name our small band D.N.A. which is short for Dad n’ Ava. The name also plays on the idea that music is in our DNA, something that was hereditary and biological to our family.
Our first song together was a cover of Evergreen by Richy Mitch and the Coal Miners. To this day, our version remains my favorite piece we have made. Not just because it was our first recording, but because of the energy of our first song was captured in the music. Every layer of sound made the original song and our little tweaks to make it our own, feel so full and lively. Most recently, we composed an original piece inspired by the endangered J-pod whales:
Th J Pod is one of three family groups that make up the Southern Resident killer whales, an endangered population of orcas that live in Pacific Northwest waters. Overfishing, habitat destruction, and dams blocking their main food source of salmon have also led to a drastic decline in their main food supply making them endangered. Other factors like pollution from industrial waste and pesticides has also introduced harmful toxins into their bodies, weakening their immune systems and reproductive health. However, one of the most heartbreaking moments in their history was in 2018 when a mother orca, Tahlequah (J35), carried her dead calf for 17 days and over 1,000 miles in an apparent act of grief. Learning about all these factors, and feelings moved by their story, made my dad and I decide to create a song that reflects their struggle and beauty.
In this post, you’ll find both of these songs—our very first recording and our most recent handcrafted song. I hope you enjoy listening as much as we loved making them.
