my family, Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, New Grass Revival, Dolly Parton, Bill Monroe, The Whites, Dixie Chicks, Elvis, old showtunes...way too many to name!
Grand Ole Opry star Minnie Pearl once said, “Take the back roads instead of the highways.” This statement encompasses the musical journey singer/songwriter Dana Romanello has been on for as long as she can remember. It was no question that music was going to play a huge part in her life. Her grandpa was a local musician, and her dad, along with her aunt and uncle, had formed a bluegrass band and played around her hometown of Lucasville, Ohio. At her grandpa's side, Dana gave her first performance of "BlueMoon of Kentucky" at just three years old and began performing regularly with her family's band at age nine.
Through the years, she became very involved in the River Cities Dance Company with Tammy Jo’s Studio in Greenup, Kentucky, along with school activities and showing market hogs in 4-H. After auditioning and being accepted into the music program at Marshall University, she began studying Music Education with an emphasis in Voice. A former NCA All-American, she earned a spot as a cheerleader for the Thundering Herd, carefully mouthing the words to the cheers so she would be prepared for her voice lessons that week. In college she was also involved in Opera for Youth - a program designed to introduce children to classical music, Huntington Outdoor Theater, Marshall University Chorus, and the Marshall University Dance Theater. While teaching music has always been a dream of hers, her ultimate goal is to open a performing arts school for children and offer dance, voice and theater lessons - free of charge. With all of the credits a teaching degree in music requires, it was going to take too long to graduate. She knew she didn’t need a teaching degree to give voice lessons and she wanted to move to Nashville as soon as possible, so she later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies along with a Minor in Music.
Through college she worked at local country station WTCR as a board operator, which later, through the help of the late Dave McClain (Poole) led her to obtain an internship in the promotion department at Universal Music Group/MCA and Mercury Records. She graduated from Marshall in December and on January third, she moved to Nashville for good. With no job and not quite $300 dollars to her name, she moved in with a friend of a friend and slept on her couch for three months, working at Guitar Center and doing choreography jobs for a high school cheerleading squad. Soon after, she landed a job on Music Row and also became a cheerleader for the Tennessee Titans; all while honing her songwriting skills and soaking in all of the many facets of the entertainment business.
After two seasons with the Titans, she has put her own band together and is working even harder on finding her place in Nashville’s music industry. She has worked with Ricky Skaggs as his promotion and publicity coordinator for Skaggs Family Records and is currently working in affiliate relations for American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn. She is a member of the Nashville Songwriter’s Association, the Country Music Association, the International Bluegrass Music Association and is a Leadership Bluegrass Alumnus.
This road that has led Dana back to her roots has been very colorful and has shaped her spirit into the person and musician she has become. None of us know where the road will lead us, but as long as you have a destination in mind, sometimes it’s better to buckle up and take the back roads as Minnie Pearl suggests. With her heart and dedication, Dana Romanello is sure to reach her destination.
Photos by Erick Anderson
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