Dale Sechrest - musician, singer and songwriter

Dale Sechrest is a musician, singer/songwriter. His style is Americana - Singer/Songwriter and faith-based music. We have conducted an interview with him about his music.

How long have you been a musician and singer/songwriter?

I received a guitar for Christmas when I was about 14 and started to teach myself how to play. I was writing songs when I was 10. But I grew up around music.

I started writing, professionally, as far as performing songs I was writing, when I was 18.

Which genre do you write your music?

I don't think ahead of time about, which genre' I want a song to be written in. I usually have to have a melody in my head before I start writing and that melody may reflect a Rock style, or, have a Country flair, or might be a story song. Some of my songs are viewed as being sad, or, melancholy, but then they also have an element of hope. So, I think many of my songs walk a line that resembles our lives, in that, there are struggles, but there is hope; There are hard times, but they don't last forever.

I believe that we live in a time when there is so much destruction and hate all around us, we need something to hold on to - we need hope. Funny, it sounds like a 60’s theme, but it's my desire, that some of my songs will reflect Hope, Peace and Love, to encourage people. I'm not sure there's one particular genre' that classifies that. For me, personally, my genre' has always been hard to peg, until I hired a producer. Michael Clark advised me, straight away, that my style (genre') is 'Americana'. Since he is a Gold Medal Award winning producer, I think he probably knows what he's talking about. But I don't write to a 'specific' genre'.

What events lead you to write faith-based music?

I think all of my faith-based songs have come from moments spent in prayer. In the past, I have worked as a music minister, (music leader), in various churches. So I may be praying, just sitting in the sanctuary, and a song will come. Reading scripture can inspire me, as well, to write.

Which song of your latest cd track is gaining play on community radio stations?

A song that I wrote for my son, Andrew, 'Life is Changes', I'm happy to say is gaining radio play. I think it is thought provoking, that, here I have songs on the cd that have great musicians who have performed with music legends from John Mellancamp to Sandy Patti, and yet, it's an all acoustic song, just me, my guitar and harmonica that's getting attention. And that takes me back to the beginning of my journey in music. Because that's how I started. No band. Just me, guitar and harp.

Who influences you in your music creation?

Aside from the typical, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Moody Blues, I grew up with a wide range of musical influences. Big band, classical, which was brought on by my music teacher in elementary school. But my dad was a big influence, too. He was always singing. He also had a huge collection of 45's that spanned the diversity of music for the time. Country, Rock, Crooners, Ballads. So, just as my youth had a diversity of music, so too, my songwriting styles, or, genre', is diverse as well.

Thank you so much for the interview and letting me share. It is very appreciated.