Danielle Knox, a senior from California majoring in graphic design, performed her song covers at the BYUH 2019 Food Fest event during Fall Semester 2019. Knox sang “Panic Chord” by Gabrielle Aplin and “I’m Like a Bird” by Nelly Furtado. Knox shared how her musical journey has helped her build friendships and feel inspired by her musical parents.
“When I started school at BYU–Hawaii I was having a really hard time deciding between studying music and art. The Lord prompted me to study graphic design so I decided to go with it and I am so glad I did. It’s helped me really understand the creative process better, but I felt like there was something missing. I felt this new prompting last year to study music and seek it out in my life again, so I added a music minor to my degree.
“For a while, I was putting so much pressure on myself to have a certain outcome for a music career and it was taking all the fun out of it. At one point, the pressure was so intense I told myself to quickly pursue a career and just play because I love it and it’s fun. Even though it seems like a setback, it was the best thing I ever did because it has connected me to music in a more genuine way.”
Knox explained how she had been attending music lessons since she was little. She performed in different ensembles and began writing songs when she was 8 years old.
“I think my favorite thing about music is the companionship it brings. The experience of singing and writing is so rewarding. It connects you to people you normally never would have [connected to]. I love it when people come up to me and say they felt something by the song I was singing.
“I love music because it’s fun and expressive and it takes you to another place. It’s this little magical reality that you can escape to and design in your mind however you want. It’s the best when you are able to take other people to that reality with you, even if it’s just for a few minutes.”
Knox also learned the piano when she was in elementary school and discovered a love and passion for the guitar at age 13. According to Knox, her mom had given her a nylon string guitar she used to play a lot. She also bought a “how to play guitar” DVD manual from a thrift store to help her continue practicing.
Knox shared, “The first song I ever learned was “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat and I was so excited. Owning my own guitar really ignited my obsession with songwriting and I just wanted to get good at it.”
Both Danielle Knox’s parents loved music. Knox’s mother was a professional singer and her dad was a drummer. Knox said her parents would often play music in the car while singing together. Her mother loved R&B and her dad was all about rock.
According to Danielle Knox, she feels a lot of her style comes from the music they would listen to in the car together. “When I think of my childhood in terms of music I think of Aaliyah, Mariah Carey, Elton John, and The White Stripes. In high school, I got into country music when Taylor Swift came around and I started watching the show Nashville in high school.
“These stories of different songwriters had really interesting things in clever ways. They would take their emotions and turn them into art. It really inspired me to try to do the same thing. I remember watching the movie “Sparkle” with Jordan Sparks and she had this relentless desire to constantly write music and that’s what I wanted to do too.”
Danielle Knox’s father, Randall Knox, described Danielle as a talented musician. “She has a natural ability to write and play music and without any formal training. In the past few years, she has matured as an accomplished stage performer as well. Her ability to be introspective and use that in her art is apparent when the listener is present.
“Her style is not quite pop-ish but verges on the side of contemporary good feeling female sound with a polished edge. She is remarkable in her own right as her trials in life have brought her to this amazing musical point in her life.”
Knox had taken her talent of singing to another level by auditioning in the Island Idol competition. Knox shared how she had learned about Island Idol from her vocal professor, Dr.Glenn.
She submitted an audition tape and spread the word to all her friends and family to vote for her. Knox added, “Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the top eight, but my neighbor told me she saw my audition on the news which was pretty cool to hear!”
A friend of Danielle Knox, Emily King, an art major from Draper, Utah said, “I was roommates with Danielle for over a year and one of my favorite memories was listening to her play the songs she wrote. One night I was feeling really down and she played me a song she wrote in high school called ‘Best Way.’
“It was hilarious, painfully relatable, and spoke to my inner brooding teenager [self]. Her songwriting has definitely improved since then, but she always writes in a way that is catchy, while still relatable.”