NEaster’s ‘Trials’

By Shannon McDonald

“Music is a powerful thing and I know that if I can get my music out there it may be able to affect others in the same positive way it has affected me.”

Dan Marafino lives in the NEast, and he might be the next big name on the charts. His debut album, Trials, features songs about growth and discovery. The Holme Circle resident began playing guitar nine years ago. After six frustrating months with a teacher, he took some time off before picking the hobby back up and playing along with CDs. But for Dan, music is more than a hobby.

“It’s something supplemental to who I am,” he says.

What makes his playing even more special to him are his guitars – an acoustic and an electric – both his dad’s, who also used to play. But it wasn’t until his senior year at Father Judge High School when Dan realized music alone woudln’t sell albums – he needed lyrics, a voice. So he got to work, learning how to write songs and sing, and before he realized it, Dan had eight songs and interested listeners.

“I felt that I had something important to share with others and could tell a story that people can connect with,” he says. “Much of the music you hear today has no depth. My goal was to say things differently and dig deeper than an impulse emotion.”

And with that, Trials was born. Of the album, Dan says his listeners’ favorite song is ‘Glow,’ but that choosing his favorite is difficult, given his intimacy with all the songs.

“My goal is to get my music and story out there,” Dan says. “It’s not anything over-dramatic or a miraculous story, but it’s something that I believe people of all ages and all backgrounds can appreciate –  trying to find a balance between mind and heart, and realizing that living one day at a time and believing in yourself will overshadow it all.”

If you want to learn more about Dan, you can check out his MySpace page. To listen to his music and see the album lyrics, go to Reverbnation.com/danmarafino.