DeeAnn DiMeo | Echoes of the Heart: Soulful Melodies and Heartfelt Stories  - Mick Unplugged [EP 40]

Episode Transcription

• DeeAnn DiMeo | Echoes of the Heart: Soulful Melodies and Heartfelt Stories  - Mick Unplugged [EP 40]

  Intro: Are you ready to change your habits, sculpt your destiny, and light up your path to greatness? Welcome to the epicenter of transformation. This is Mick Unplugged. We'll help you identify your because so you can create a routine that's not just productive, but powerful. You'll embrace the art of evolution, adapt strategies to stay ahead of the game, and take a step toward the extraordinary.

  So let's unleash your potential. Now here's Mick.

  Mick Hunt: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Mick Unplugged. And on today's episode, I am thrilled to welcome a multi-talented artist whose soulful voice and heartfelt performances have captivated audiences around the world. From jazz classics to her original songs, she has truly made a name for herself in the music industry, and I need you to please join me in welcoming the incredible, the illustrious, the dynamic, Diane DeMaio. Diane, how are you doing today, dear?

  Diane DeMaio: I am well. Thank you for that incredible introduction, and thank you for having me.

  Mick Hunt: It is all about you, and I'm the one that's honored to be here with you. And, you know, I've been a fan for a while. I think from everything that you have in the digital space, in the social space, I have probably listened to a thousand times each without exaggeration. And I just want you to know how much I love your voice. Like, I love soulful, passionate, high-energy voices, and you, to me, are the epitome of that.

  So thank you for being you.

  Diane DeMaio: Wow. Thank you. Thank you for listening to The Voice.

  Mick Hunt: Absolutely. So let's talk about music. Like, when did you first begin your love of music, and what really got you into what you're doing today?

  Diane DeMaio: Well, I'm one of those where I knew at 7 years old that I wanted to do this. And some people say that story, some people don't, but I was on the monkey bars aging myself. We had monkey bars in the backyard and coming in to school. And I just said, yeah, I'm gonna be a star probably by 7. If not, maybe 8. But then I got into choir, 3rd grade. Stayed in there all the way through middle school, high school. High school joined the swing choir. Did the different music from the, you know, the choral music and went into more pop music. And there was a song that needed a solo, and they asked me to sing it. And I was scared to death. Like, I was like, I can't do that. And I did it. And then I heard myself come through the speakers in the auditorium, and I was like, woah. I'm hooked. This is incredible that I'm singing, and it's, you know, amplifying throughout the whole auditorium.

  Mick Hunt: And I know early on, your father was an influence for you. Right? So how did that influence shape your journey?

  Diane DeMaio: My father from day 1, yeah, he was a jazz singer, and he worked around Buffalo area, New York area when he could because he was a deputy sheriff. And he always was singing, always. Getting ready to go to work. He'd be scattin', singing different tunes. And I fell in love with what he was singing, but I had to go through kinda like my pop, my rock stage. Country. I did a lot of country. And then finally, I reached the jazz stage, and he was so excited. And he calls me Dolly. He said, Dolly, you finally made it. Like, thanks, dad. But he passed away a year and a half ago, so I'm so glad he got to hear my last album.

  Mick Hunt: That's awesome. And you brought up, you know, transitioning from singing pop and country to jazz and blues. What was that transition like? And at the end of the day, do you connect a different way with jazz and blues and pop and country?

  Diane DeMaio: I connect with all genres of music as long as it's good music, great musicians. So, yeah, I can really relate to R&B, soul, country, rap. I mean, if it's a good song, it's a good song. And good players and a special meaning that's coming with the song is even better. And even if it's just a great groove and it makes you wanna dance and it may lift your mood.

  Mick Hunt: Yeah. And that's what your music does for me. So "It's My Time." Talk to me a little bit about "It's My Time" and what inspired it.

  Diane DeMaio: When I think back to it, my producer actually came up with that title for my album, and I was feeling apprehensive about it because, as you may know, I lost my son in between all that. And I just kinda felt like "It's My Time" was not something to say after that. But it actually is my time to try to be happy again. It's my time to smile. It's my time to love again. It's my time to create my legacy and share that with others. Because at the end of the day and what I went through my son was 23 from a motorcycle accident. And you don't take anything with you when you leave, but what you leave behind is how you make people feel. And he left behind tremendous love for others, and that's what I wanna do. And if I could do it through my music, which God has gifted me with, then I'm gonna do it. That's my purpose.

  Mick Hunt: Amazing. I'll tell you one of the things and, you know, music moves me as a I feel like music moves a lot of people. But your rendition of "You Are My Sunshine." And I know a little bit of why that song is on the album, but I promise you. And for all the listeners, and I'll make sure that there's a special link to this version of this song. Oh my goodness. And as a grown man, a real grown man, I can promise you, I don't know if I've been moved that much by a song. And I love music, Diane, that song and your voice on that song.

  Diane DeMaio: And I said, I feel like I should sing "You Are My Sunshine" because that was a song I sang to William every night before he went to sleep. Until one day he told me, mom, I'm okay. Do you have to sing to me tonight? I was, like, broken heart. I'm like, what? Because he was getting older. I said, I think we should record it. So I went into his studio, and he said, just sing it acapella. That's how it started. And then he was like, okay. Raise the key. You know, go half step higher and sing it again. And when I got done, like, it was just me singing. I had no music around me. He put all the music arrangement around it. He did an incredible job arranging. He's a wonderful producer, bass player, friend. We got done and I just broke down, you know, because I sang that about that was probably 4 or 5 months after the accident. And I said, I didn't realize how hard that was gonna be. He said, neither did I. And so then I didn't hear the song again until he was finished. And I was like, woah. That's so good. So he did all that.

  Mick Hunt: That's awesome. And I'm gonna stay on this album for a minute because it quickly became one of my favorites, and it's one that I keep in rotation that I'm gonna listen to over and over again. Like, as a matter of fact, we just had family over this weekend and guess who and what we were listening to. It was you. Again, I love music. I have an ear for music I like to believe. And there's a couple of songs that you do that I always warn people that they should never sing if they're gonna try to do it professionally, and you freaking crush them. Oh. Personally, "Killing Me Softly." Oh. Everyone can't do that song again. Everyone can't do that song but you can't. And then "My Funny Valentine." Just one of those classics that just you can't help but put a smile on your face when you hear that song. You do a little bit more than that. Like, you put the smile on my face, but then I can feel it in my soul. So those two songs, again, I always tell people, you probably shouldn't do them unless you can really do them. So I want you to know you can do them.

  Diane DeMaio: Thank you so much, sis. And now I'm thinking, do you wanna be my manager? You know, I just thank you so much. That's awesome. I'm glad I could do that. So, again, the purpose of music is to bring a tear to your eye, make you feel joyful. You remember me, not because I used to drive a really cool Mazda Miata. 6 feet. Just may I add that. It was great. You remember my voice and what it made you feel, that's what it's all about.

  Mick Hunt: Yes. And I can promise you there were about 15, 16 people that were in and out of my house all weekend, and they all heard you. And they were like, who is that? And I was like, oh, one of my new friends. Let's sit down and let's go through the whole thing. And, like, you were a hit at my home this weekend.

  Diane DeMaio: That just warms my heart. Thank you so much. Thank them.

  Mick Hunt: I totally will. I totally will. So let's talk about some of your originals in songwriting. And in particular, how do you approach songwriting and the inspiration that you have for those songs?

  Diane DeMaio: I was just telling my friend here a song I wrote called "Torn," which is not on the albums yet. It's we're talking about doing some more a new album starting in the fall, and that's one song that's gonna go on. And everything is always written from an experience that I've gone through or, listening to others talk and what they say and their stories. "Torn" came from I was torn because I didn't know we're not married anymore, but we're great friends. My ex-husband, he was like, you know, it's time. We gotta start talking about children. And I was like, yeah. But I gotta do this and I gotta do that in my career. And I knew that one of them was gonna have to be given up a little because I just knew myself. And I'm not saying you can't do both, but I knew myself. So I knew I was torn between, you know, which bridge I was gonna burn, which those are the lines in, the song. I mean, I came back to music after my kids got older. And I did sing music, though, throughout their younger days. I just sang in church. I sang for weddings, funerals. Then I started teaching pre-k to grade 8 music education, and I threw two huge concerts a year with the kids. And it was where my kids went to school.

  Mick Hunt: That's good stuff. So let's transition to something else because whether you're a music fan or not, there comes a time in your career as an adult that you have to balance career with family. And for Diane, how did you balance your music career with the other aspects of your life, especially family?

  Diane DeMaio: Yeah. So I didn't do the nightlife as much, and I would get hired to sing for funeral masses and Catholic churches mostly where I did it. And that was very inspiring because I was helping others through their healing. Did a lot of weddings, wedding ceremonies, did teaching. That's how I could balance being a mom. I was a stay-at-home mom in that. But then when the kids got older, probably early teenage, I started getting back into the nightclub, and that's where I got into the blues first and then we got into the jazz. Coming from before my children, it was rock, pop, dance, country.

  Mick Hunt: You know, I love that today, you do a lot of I mean, you've always done a lot of live performances, but I love that you do that because these are the words of Mick and Mick only. And I've said this before, can't really listen to today's music. Right. Like, I don't have an ear for that because it feels like everyone's trying to create like a viral moment and it's not really about the words, the feeling, or the emotion of music. Right? It's just when what can I create that I can go make a million dollars on and the song is trash and it's all about the production anyway? How do you feel about live performances? I'm not gonna I'm not gonna have you talk about today's music. Those were my words. But how do you feel about live music?

  Diane DeMaio: Oh, that's my favorite. Because when you're in a studio, you know, you have to feel all that energy and you have to try to create all that energy. It's definitely difficult. It's not the easiest thing to do. Not everyone who sings live can go into the studio. But the live performance, the energy of the people, because we are all energy. We're all connected to each other through our energy. And if they're buying a ticket to come see your show, they wanna see you. And their energy is there. They're supporting you. And that all comes back to you. And then, like, there's so much that comes out that you don't even try to do. You don't even remember how you sang it. And you might not sing you probably won't sing it that way again the next time. So, yes, I love live live energy.

  Mick Hunt: Same. Same. There's nothing like live music. And I, you know, I love live music city, so you're gonna see me in Nashville. You're gonna see me in New Orleans. Right? I know you're in the Buffalo area. I'm a Patriot fan, Diane, so it's hard for me to go to Buffalo because I feel a certain way about it. But I've made a commitment that I'm gonna come up there this fall. And so one of my items for this year off of my 2024 bucket list is to see you live, so I'm gonna come see you.

  Diane DeMaio: Oh, awesome. Yeah. Yeah. I do sing every Wednesday too at a club in Buffalo. It's called Sportsman's Tavern, and they bring in national international acts and local acts. They are amazing, seven days a week. And I sing there Yeah. We bring in a lot of people.

  Mick Hunt: Well, I will be there, and I just need the city of Buffalo to embrace me. And, again, I'm a Patriot fan. Don't hurt me, Buffalo, but I will be there to support for sure. Yeah. One of the things that I find amazing about you and one of the things that I think you inspire others is what I call is a part of the Mick Factor that was given to me by my mentor, Les Brown. And the k in the Mick Factor is keep going. So the perseverance that you have, I think, is truly inspiring. So for the listeners that are out there today, those that are watching, what are some things that you can tell people about the power of keep going or the power of perseverance?

  Diane DeMaio: First of all, my daughter, who's living in a beautiful soul, she's 24 now. And even before anyone, actually, God, that's what keeps me going. My faith definitely keeps me going. And then my son's spirit. No excuses, mom. Just do it. Is his motto. And he used to say that to me all the time. William, I can't go because he was a professional bodybuilder and he tried to get me into the gym, which I finally am. And he was like, oh, mom. I said, William, I can't do this because, you know, I I'm older. My body's sore. You know. And he just kept saying, no excuses, mom. Just do it. So that kept me going. Friends, I mean, a few family members and lots of friends that kept coming around kept coming around checking on me. And then music. You know, music and purpose. You know, why are you here? William was 23 when he left. He did a lot of great things before he left. What am I doing? What's my purpose? What am I leaving for others? And that's my goal, to keep going, to keep fulfilling that purpose.

  Mick Hunt: That's amazing. What advice would you have for the listeners that maybe need that inspiration or that kick?

  Diane DeMaio: I know that we're not all believers, but definitely praying is my grace. And when you pray, you need to listen. And I used to be like, okay, God. I need this. And then I'm like, where is it? Still not here. It's been a day. You know? It's two days now, and a lot of times, we need to listen. When we pray for something, we listen through a song that came through on the radio. We listen to someone who just spoke to you the next day. We listen to something we saw on TV, or someone's reading a book, and we ask them what the title is, and that might be the answer. You gotta pay attention.

  Mick Hunt: I agree. And I also tell people, don't try to find the answer you're looking for because then most of the time, you miss the right answer.

  Diane DeMaio: Yes. I knew that. Because you're not listening. Absolutely. Absolutely agree with you. I was doing a massage with the girl that does my massage, and we were talking about how you can change your thoughts. Because when negative thoughts enter your head, you can't control when the negative thought enters, but you can control what you're gonna do with it. So, yep, so it comes in and then you say the thought could be, oh my god. I have to weed the garden. There's so many weeds out there. You could change your thought. Wow. I have such a beautiful garden, and it's gonna look beautiful when the weeds are gone. And just completely change your thought. So right after we had that conversation, I walk out to the reception area and I go to pay the guy for my massage. And he's reading this book. And I said, what are you reading? He says, oh, Wayne Dyer. How you can change your thoughts and change your life. I'm like, okay, god. I'm listening.

  Mick Hunt: Totally agree. So all the amazing things that you've had going on in your life, what's next? What what's new with Diane now? Like, what do you want listeners to know? What should we be looking out for?

  Diane DeMaio: So, I have a couple shows coming up. Pazit is actually next week. It's a very beautiful room in Buffalo, the Pazit Art House. It's a listening room, and it's pretty much the same thing as being in New York City. That's July 18th. And then August 24th, I'm doing the Northwest Jazz Festival in Lewiston, New York. And then right after the meeting, we're right back in the studio, and I'm just gonna start producing the next album. Maybe even start with a single because I have a lot of originals that I wanna get recorded. My bass player that I'm working with right now, we're talking about trying to coordinate the tour for 2025.

  Mick Hunt: For your tour, you have to come to a city near me so I can make sure I see you at the time.

  Diane DeMaio: Well, I work with New World in jazz, Neil Sapper with my radio AirPlay, and there's been several stations throughout the country that have played my music. So I'm gonna focus on some of those and get in that area. So that's been really lovely. And Tom Estee has been just a godsend. He's connected me with you and others. So I'm gonna continue working with him and continue bodybuilding. Alright.

  Mick Hunt: Diane, the bodybuilder. I like it.

  Diane DeMaio: Well, my trainer just competed for Mr. Universe. Close to 1st, got 2nd place, so he's still doing his thing, Aaron Newman, and he trained my son. So I stay focused and all that and take care of my daughter.

  Mick Hunt: I love it. So where can people follow you and find you? And I'll make sure that these links are posted in the show notes. And I know you're gonna tell us where, but here's my promise to everyone that's listening, watching. One of your best follows on social will be Diane. I promise you that I

  Diane DeMaio: can talk to. Thank you. DianeMusic.com. So DianeMusic.com. That's my website that pretty much includes everything. I'm not sure if a YouTube video link is on there, which I have to check that. Diane DeMeo is my YouTube link. And DeMeo is DIM as in Mike, e o. That's my YouTube where I just posted some recent videos. I did a Sarah Vaughan tribute for the 100th Centennial this year at Seneca 1 Tower through Jazz Buffalo, and Tony Zambido coordinates all that. And we did a wonderful show there and a sold-out show. Some of my videos are on my YouTube channel. They're on my website too. And then all the social media links are all on my website, dianemusic.com.

  Mick Hunt: So everybody do me a huge favor. Make sure you're following Diane, tagging Diane. And, Diane, we can't wait for the new project to release and see all the amazing things that are gonna happen on the 2025 tour. Can't wait to see the results of your bodybuilding. You better win. Right? I'm putting it out there.

  Diane DeMaio: No. It's not there. I did compete. It was June 5th was my son, 2021. So it went into yeah. It was October 2022. I competed through Kenmore Barbell in the Powerlifting Association, and I got 3rd place in my age bracket. Yeah. I think I was deadlifting about 2 15, 2 20.

  Mick Hunt: You're serious.

  Diane DeMaio: Okay. I'm serious.

  Mick Hunt: Do you understand?

  Diane DeMaio: This other week walk in, though, and III saw what she was lifting. I'm like, okay. I'm not making first place. I knew it as soon as I saw what she was lifting, but it was very awesome experience. I did it in honor of William and my trainer, Haley. She just at the time, I had Haley, and she just was driven. But now I'm doing it to just stay in health, be good shape. Because as we age to our like, we need to keep our bones, our muscles strong. I don't know when and if I'm doing a competition again, but if I do, I'm gonna let you know.

  Mick Hunt: You're doing a competition. I'm a push you. You're doing one. Diane, thank you so much for blessing us with your time today. I know you're a busy person, and it means a lot to me personally. And I know it means a lot to the guests and audience of Mick Unplugged. So thank you for blessing us with your time today.

  Diane DeMaio: I have to thank you because I have like I said, when we were talking earlier, I watched some of your videos, and I watched some of your interviews. You are such an inspiration to others, and you are doing what your purpose is. You're inspiring others.

  Mick Hunt: Well, Diane, again, I appreciate you for taking some time. And for the listeners, remember, your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

  Intro: Thanks for listening to Mick Unplugged. We hope this episode helps you take the next step toward the extraordinary and launches a revolution in your life. Don't forget to rate and review the podcast, and be sure to check us out on YouTube at Mick Unplugged. Remember, stay empowered, stay inspired, and stay unplugged.