LyricalGenes
Dana Burtin is an author, poet, and award-winning musician performing under the moniker "LyricalGenes". At a young age, LyricalGenes was always told that he could be anything in the world that he puts his mind to. He truly believes that statement and used that saying as a reminder to be his own independent person. Growing up, he has experienced many obstacles when it comes to relationships, finding his purpose in life, and emotional hurdles. Music has always been something Dana Burtin could rely on. Whenever he felt a certain way, he would always fall back to music.
For fans who have never heard your music, can you pick three words to describe it?! If three words just aren't enough then tell us more!!
For those who have never heard my music before, my image and message is strictly non-explicit, motivational, and positive; a relatable message for everyone to hear. Being 19 years old, I feel it is important to set an example. Being a young adult, I am able to listen and relate to the younger audiences' preference in music while receiving support from older listeners due to my, what some would call, "mature" message in my songs.
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, recording, something else?) Tell us why.
Being the voice for the voiceless and expressing myself in a positive manner is the beauty of art, in my opinion. With my music, I am trying to help everyone. Some people do not have that person to talk to that can lift them up. And because we sometimes use music as a coping mechanism, when a person listens to my music for example, I want to make sure there is a clear message that can hopefully brighten someone's day and/or motivate them to remain persistent in their endeavors. In short, my favorite part about being an artist is songwriting, performing, recording, and producing because it allows me to stand up for something that is bigger than myself.
Can you tell us what being in the recording studio is like for you?
Being in the studio is like being in my own "creative zone". In this zone, I am able to experiment with words, sounds, etc. that expresses a message of where I am in life currently or where/what the world is experiencing whether that be political, generational, transcendental, or just a fun and cheerful message overall. In the studio, I am able to freely bounce between light-hearted and "serious" topics that the world wants and/or needs to hear, depending on current events.
Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
Growing up, I was always immensely intrigued by the arts in general. Due to this reasoning, I adopted many hobbies that stimulated my thirst for creative exploration. Outside of music, I am an author, poet, actor, model, athlete, and college student. I have published 4 short stories, 2 poems, and a full poetry book on Amazon (https://amazon.com/author/danaburtin) totalling to seven written projects as an author thus far. Apart from this, I took part in football, basketball, baseball, swimming, tennis, and ran track and field. Along with my music and author career, my basketball and track accomplishments have been documented on Google News. In addition, I made history and broke records while running high school track and field that has been posted on the front page of News Herald. Furthermore, I am a male model and love taking fitness photos the most! Lastly, I am a college student majoring in Liberal Arts; however, since I enjoy the business side of music, I found that pursuing law to eventually become an entertainment attorney would be a great fit for me and a good back up plan.
Who do you admire most in the music scene today and why?
I love this question; however, my answer is multi-faceted. My answer will be categorized, but not limited to these certain titles. In today's music scene, from a business perspective, I admire artists like: Russ, Jay-Z, Ryan Leslie, Rick Ross, and Nipsey Hussle. These artists are the epitome of do it yourself, establish ownership, and leverage. Growing up in my generation of music, Russ specifically was the first person that truly heightened my curiosity regarding distribution, masters, and publishing.
Apart from this, writers such as: Luke Combs, Rapsody, Logic, Bryson Tiller, Jack Harlow and UK rappers Stormzy, Dave, and J. Hus really inspired me to express myself in a way that is truly authentic, besides my mother and grandmother being the first to encourage me to do so.
From an adaptability perspective, artists like: Drake, Big Sean, J. Cole, G-Eazy, Royce Da 5'9", Eminem, and many more have consistently been around since I was a child. Of course, this list can go on forever, but, off the top of my head, these are some of the artists whose songs have made a positive impact on my life.
Can you tell us what song you've written that is the most emotional and describe the meaning behind it?
Personally, the most emotional song I have ever written is called, "Life that I Knew". I wrote "Life That I Knew" at age 16, and during that time, I considered myself to be reserved and somewhat shy. I placed "Life that I Knew" on my first album entitled, 2019 The Album, because I knew, at some point, it would foreshadow my acceptance and immovable determination when faced with adversity and tribulations. "Life That I Knew" expresses my relationship with my father. The single takes the listener down my disconnected father-son path. Missing out on that father-son connection, in a sense, partly made me the way I am today, taking into account the positive and negative factors. However, in the song, I express how I have nothing but love to give and why I feel my mother is one of the strongest black women and women in general, that I know, alongside my grandmother.
Are you working on any new material right now or what's in the works for the upcoming year?
Personally, writing and creating music never stops. I find inspiration from listening, watching, and/or hearing anything whether that be movies, music, and nature. With the new year beginning, I have a plethora of material that is ready to be released and heard. With doors opening and more people tuning in, I am excited to see how this year and many more years unfold for me.
Tell us where fans can access your music.
All of LyricalGenes’s official music and social media profiles: https://smarturl.it/lyricalgenes
Books: Amazon