Diana Page is music. A singer, songwriter as well as producer and engineer, Diana has been intimately captivated by music for as long as she can remember. Whether in front of an audience or behind the board of a recording console, Page is an artist who can do it all, and do it all well.
Born to a musical family, her father Don was the lead singer of the Cyrkle, managed by Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein. Famous in the 60’s for the hit songs “Red Rubber Ball” and “Turn Down Day”, he maintained his own recording studio in New York City where Diana learned and cultivated her craft almost daily. “There was never a minute in my life that I didn’t know my path” she remembers. By the age of 6, she was singing on commercials, playing the flute and learning the cello, an instrument that at the time was bigger than she. Facing the shyness she felt as a young child, at 11, inspired by Madonna, she sang for the first time in public in front of 3,000 people at an event in Iowa. “It was terrifying at first but by the end I was exhilarated!”
At 14, she began writing songs, and recording them with Dad behind the board. She recounts, “At some point, he wasn’t going fast enough for me, and that was my impetus to be an engineer. I learned how to record myself completely; the vocals, the music, the programming, I even learned how to splice tape before Pro Tools.” By the time she went to high school, she was playing bass and organizing concerts where she would sing. In college, she sang in cover bands and played fraternities. Although always willing to perform, Diana never felt quite as comfortable on the stage as she did in the studio so she focused her attention on perfecting the art of production and songwriting.
At 19, leaving Northwestern University for a more practical education in the industry, Diana envisioned herself as rocker. Working with her own band, her talent earned her the opportunity to perform at Woodstock ’99, singing a Janis Joplin tune. “Having a taste of performing on that level was incredible,” she exclaims, “I was very lucky to have that experience.” The attention built and soon, Diana’s songwriting was noticed by J Records and Epic Records, who showed immediate interested in having her write for their artists. “I didn’t even realize songwriting was a career. It was a total revelation.” In the process of writing songs, she came across the Dixie Chicks and had another epiphany. She remembers, “As an artist, I was always felt that I should suffer. I thought I had to be the cool, depressive rocker type to be successful in the music industry. But when I heard the Dixie Chicks, their country/pop style struck me as being authentically “me”. I’m basically a very positive and easy going person, and country music allows for that.” She smiles, “Yes, I finally admitted to my pop-ness!”
Now firmly rooted in a style that suited her, Diana began to raise her performance game, paying her dues at the Café Wha? in Manhattan’s West Village, truly learning the art of being on stage. She recounts, “It was sink or swim. There are serious singers in this place and I had to hold my own in front of them. I learned how to listen to the lyrics, let go and allow my voice to do its thing.”
In 2004, Diana released her well-received debut album Love Will Find A Way. “My songwriting partner and I did that whole album ourselves. We worked with some amazing musicians,” she sighs. Soon thereafter she was featured in the soundtrack to the movie “Blue Crush” all the while continuing her work on commercials, not only singing but writing and producing.
Diana is currently readying her favorite musicians and new material for a fresh collection of songs due for release in 2008. “I’m definitely feeling a more vibey, etheric direction for the new album,” she enthuses. “And I’m really ready now to play out.” With her latest co-writes being featured on the CW show “Life is Wild” and in the film “Bring It On” and with a new album in the works, prepare to hear much more from this woman who not only plays music, but lives it… her whole life through.