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10 Questions with ... Kelly Daniel
September 28, 2009
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
1999-2000 - KYNG/Dallas - Programming Assistant
2000-2001- Giant Records/Nashville - Promotion Coordinator
2001-2009 - All Access Nashville - Assistant Country Editor1) So, why are you leaving again?
My husband, Robert, and I are going back to Ukraine to adopt another child! We met this particular little girl when we were there in 2007 adopting our son, Nathan, and we fell in love with her. She just turned six years old and she has some pretty extensive physical needs that will require a lot of surgery and therapy. So I will be staying home with her until she is ready to start school.
2) When do you have to go back to Ukraine, and how long will you be there?
We should have an exact travel date in the next week or so. Most likely we will be heading over sometime around mid-October. The overall trip should take about five to six weeks, but I will only be there for two to three. Once we are done with court I will come home since our son will be staying here with my mother-in-law and then my husband will bring our daughter, Innabella, home a couple of weeks after that. But then again, this is Ukraine and anything can happen. We could bring her home in two weeks or we could be stuck there for months. You never know!
3) Nathan will be joined by a new sister, is he excited?
We talk about her a lot as a family and we have been for quite some time. He says he wants to "go get Inna," a lot. But I don't think he really understands that once she gets here, she won't be leaving. Nathan has enjoyed being the center of attention for quite some time, so there is likely to be some adjustment. Inna and Nathan were in the same room together at the orphanage, so they have some history. I think he was too young so I doubt he will remember her, but I imagine that she will remember him since she was very motherly toward the littler ones in the room.
4) Did you ever think when you took this gig that you would be here this long, or did you just give up on leaving? Seriously, what are a few of the accomplishments that you are most proud of?
Honestly, no I didn't think I would be here long. I told my husband after I got home on the first day, "I think it will be good for a year." Well, eight and a half years later, here I am! I always assumed I would go from here to a regional position but I decided early on that I didn't want that near as much as I thought I did.
There are a number of things that I am proud of from my time here at All Access. I think the biggest would have to be how much we have grown here in the Nashville music community. When I started here in 2001, maybe a handful of people knew who we were, and today you would be hard pressed to find anyone that doesn't know us. I am also very proud of the product we put out here. In my time here I can honestly say that I stand behind each and every news story I have written. That doesn't mean that I haven't made a mistake or two and that I haven't had to eat some of my own words once in a while! But we do our best to be diligent in confirming our stories and getting the details correct. It takes extra work to make sure that everything is correct, but I think it is what makes us the best at what we do.
I am also very proud of the relationships I have built in radio and records. I walk away from here with some very dear friends that I know I will still be in contact with. There is a handful of people that I know, no matter what we do for a living, will still be my friends. They know who they are!
5) Aside from the annual Christmas parties in Malibu what were some favorite aspects of the job?
My favorite aspect of this job is the very unique position from which I sit. I get to watch pretty much all sides of the music industry from the inside and that is a rare thing. It's almost like being Switzerland, we get to be a part of it all but we don't have to take sides as we sit in our little neutral territory. I really can't think of very many other places that would allow me this sort of unique aspect.
6) The industry has changed radically since you started here- are those changes for the better or not, and why?
Wow, I have to say that no, I don't think it has been for the better. I could go on and on about my reasons, but I will stick to one. I write story after story about good people out of work because of budget cuts, voice tracking, etc. How is that any better?
7) Do you think you will return to the music business at some point?
I honestly don't know. I am very torn about that right now, so I am hesitant to say yes or no. The luster has worn off the industry for me, but that happens in any job. I still love hearing the new music and watching people I know and care about become hit songwriters and big stars, making their dreams come true. I get excited when someone I have worked for a while becomes a big star, like a proud mama.
But this industry has changed and a number of the reasons that I, and many others, got in to it in the first place have gone away. Some of the 'perks' that were once available are not now because of the changing face of business.
Plus, this is definitely an industry more suited to someone single. So much of what we do involves going out, being social and going to shows. That is all great and fun, but after work I want to go home and listen to my son tell me how he painted a picture or rode a tricycle in daycare. That is my life now and that is exactly how I want it to be.
I am really contemplating making a career in the international adoption field. I don't know what it will look like yet, but God has been pushing me that way for a while. I am finally starting to listen and see what He has in store for me. Whatever it is, will certainly be an adventure!
8) Name two or three songs/artists that pain you because they slipped through the cracks?
Lyric Street had a guy out a few years back named Kevin Denney. I loved his music! His debut CD is still on heavy rotation in my iPod. He had a quality to his voice that hasn't been heard since Keith Whitley. I also think that Shannon Lawson should have been a huge star, he can sing his ass off! That is another CD that I listen to relentlessly. This guy hasn't slipped through the cracks, but I can't figure out why Jamey Johnson isn't one of the biggest acts in our format. Fingers crossed that his star is just starting to take off!
9) It seems like most artists today get broken on one of the talent shows like American Idol, etc. Is radio still breaking music in your opinion?
Yes, I think radio is still breaking music, but not nearly to the degree that they once were. With play lists as slow and tight as they are, how can you break a new act? It's the old catch 22, no one give the new guys a shot until they see some people jumping on board, but no one wants to jump on board until someone else gives them a shot first. Someone has to take the lead!
10) Speaking of 'Idol,' has the impact of that been good for the industry? Why or why not?
Hmmm, that is a hard one. You can't really deny that Carrie Underwood is a superstar! But I think that she is the exception. There are a few other of the reality/talent show people that I think could do very well but for the most part we haven't seen them all soar up the charts. I think it is another way for wanna-be artists to get exposure, but I don't think that it should be the only place we look to for new acts.
One of my radio guys was recently talking about one such act and I thought he said it well; labels sign these acts thinking that they have instant familiarity because they were on a TV show. When in reality, most of those shows, with the exception of "Idol," have pretty low ratings. Your listeners aren't nearly as familiar with them as you want them to be. They are still a new act and they have to go through the same crap that all other new acts have to go through. Just because they were a finalist on some show that 25 people watched, doesn't make them an automatic add.
Bonus Questions
1) What favorite Ukraine restaurant are you licking your chops to get back to?
Ummm, I can safely say that there isn't one! My husband is anxious to get back so he can have some real borscht, but not me. I didn't find a whole lot on any Ukrainian menu that I can't go another 20 or 30 years without.
2) Will you be reading Net News to your children before they go to bed?
Yes, I will read the stories about people losing their jobs in order to scare them into wanting careers in some other line of work that is more stable. They have to be able to support me somehow!
3) Can you fill in for me Oct 12th and 13th while I am in Chicago for the marathon?
If I am still in the country then of course!! We will discuss my price and terms at another time. Hey, you don't get this sort of expertise from most temps!
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