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Draft:Dan Yessian

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  • Comment: This is an improvement, but lots of work remains to be done. The tone of this draft remains unacceptably promotional of its subject. More importantly, a significant amount of material relating to the subject's life and career is uncited. Citations to verifiable and reliable sources are necessary before this draft can be accepted into mainspace. If you are unsure of how to do this, please seek help at WP:TEAHOUSE. CurryTime7-24 (talk) 21:59, 18 November 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: Subject may be notable, but draft needs to be improved before being accepted into mainspace. The general promotional tone is unacceptable. A number of biographical details (e.g. name of wife, place of residence) lack citations to reliable sources, which is also unacceptable according to WP:BLP. CurryTime7-24 (talk) 22:40, 13 November 2024 (UTC)


Dan Yessian
Born (1944-09-05) September 5, 1944 (age 80)

Dan Yessian (/jɛsiːɪn/,Yes-e-in) September 5, 1944) is an award-winning American producer, musician, composer, arranger, woodwind musician and keyboardist of Armenian ancestry. Yessian received a Distinguished Achievement Award at the 2016 Detroit Music Awards. [1] [2] In 1971, he founded Yessian Music Inc., in Farmington, Michigan.

Yessian's documentary and musical composition "An Armenian Trilogy" was featured on PBS.[3] [4] "An Armenian Trilogy" documents Yessian's journey exploring his ancestral Armenian roots and his work composing three musical movements, "The Freedom," "The Fear," and "The Faith". [5] His work was performed live by the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra in Yerevan, Armenia. [4]

Michael, Dan and Brian Yessian in Armenia during the LIVE performance of original music featured in Dan Yessian's documentary, "An Armenian Trilogy".

Yessian Music, an international music production company with locations in Michigan, New York City, Los Angeles, and Europe. [6] The company produces music and sound design for numerous Fortune 500 companies and employs over 150 full-time and freelance creative artists.[1]

Brian and Michael Yessian have assumed leadership of the company.[7]

Career

[edit]

A 1967 graduate of Wayne State University, Yessian taught speech and English for four years at Detroit's Redford High School. He left education to pursue a music career. [8] [2]

In 1971, Yessian Music opened in a 300-square-foot office, once an old bait shop in Farmington. He called local car dealers hoping to interest them in purchasing a custom jingle to promote their business. [9][5]

Yessian wrote numerous national and regional commercial jingles for companies such as Whirlpool, Dodge, Ford Motors Company, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Chevrolet, Little Caesar's and many more. Yessian's jingle for Detroit-based business "Diitrich Furs" has aired for over 40 years.[1]

Yessian wrote music for "Sesame Street" with Grammy award-winning animator Ted Petok. His work on 1970s nationally syndicated children show "Hot Fudge" won a national award for children's programming. [10] Other work for television include the Electric Company and various other local and national programming.[1]

Musician Dan Yessian and Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell.

Yessian wrote theme songs for sports organizations including Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yessian co-wrote several songs with the late Ernie Harwell.[11]

In the 1980s, Yessian met songwriter David Barrett (Composer "One Shining Moment") with whom he composed numerous songs including a collaboration with Kenny Watson "I See Wings" a song written for Yessian's documentary and symphonic work "An Armenian Trilogy". [12]

In 2006, Yessian purchased Burt Bacharach's piano. On the Steinway instrument, Yessian wrote numerous music compositions including classical pieces featured in "An Armenian Trilogy".[5] [4]

Yessian Music

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Yessian composed music for theme parks and museums around the world. Productions include The One World Observatory and Hudson Yards in New York, Trans Studio, Ferrari World, Lotte World, Chimelong, Movie Park, and many others.[13][14]

Yessian's Music's work is featured in various types of media including video games, movies, television, sports entertainment and sound production for companies like Disney, Cadillac, Little Caesar's Pizza, Mercedes Benz, Coca-Cola, United Airlines and more.[7][2]

Yessian Music won numerous awards in the advertising and television industry. [15] In 2018, Yessian was inducted into the Adcraft Hall of Fame in Detroit, receiving a lifetime achievement award for his work in the advertising industry.[16] [17]

The company created music featured in five commercials aired in the 2012 Super Bowl. Yessian's work also includes sound production for "Sunday Night Football" "America's Got Talent" and "The Voice". [18] [19]

Michael and Brian Yessian have led Yessian Music since the 1990s. Both were featured in Crain's Detroit Business "40 under 40". The pair spearheaded a project to create music for the $100 million One World Observatory at One World Trade Center, which welcomes up to 4 million guests a year.[7]

An Armenian Trilogy

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Yessian created "An Armenian Trilogy" a documentary and 22-minute symphonic music piece in honor of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, in which 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered.[20]

"When my Armenian church priest Father Garabed Kochakian asked me to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, it proved to be a life changing request," said Yessian. "I discovered the path my ancestors had taken during this dark time and I began to tell their story through music, and ultimately film." [3] [21]

Yessian worked with arranger and pianist Kurt Schreitmueller, and the pair composed the first iteration of a duet for violin and piano, debuting in 2015 at Macomb Center for Performing Arts. The initial performance featured musicians Sonia Lee and Shawn McDonald. [4][8][21]

Yessian expanded the musical suite to a full symphonic tribute with the help of orchestrator William Wandel and Stewart Shevin. [22] [23]

In 2017 Yessian worked with producer Ohad Wilner documenting his family trip to Armenia. [8] Nearly one hundred musicians of the Armenian National Philharmonic performed Yessian's three-part original music at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall in Armenia's capital city of Yerevan.[23] [24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Hinds, Julie (April 28, 2016). "10 things you need to know about Detroit's Dan Yessian". Detroit Free Press.
  2. ^ a b c Wingblad, Aileen. "Yessian to be honored at Detroit Music Awards". Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b ""An Armenian Trilogy," documentary about music's Dan Yessian, debuts on Amazon". Public Radio of Armenia. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Bromley, Susan. "How a Milford man came to compose 'An Armenian Trilogy' on Bacharach's piano". Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Datian, Christine Vartanian (September 12, 2024). "How Dan Yessian Came to Compose An Armenian Trilogy on Bacharach's Piano". The Armenian Mirror-Spectator. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  6. ^ McFarlin, Jim (December 29, 2011). "Detroit Jingle Masters Go International". Hour Detroit Magazine. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Shea, Bill (October 2015). "Michael Yessian". Crain's Detroit Business.
  8. ^ a b c Gibbons, Kathy (August 21, 2020). "Composer Dan Yessian honors his ancestors in 'An Armenian Trilogy'". Hour Detroit. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  9. ^ "Yessian Music in Farmington Hills Has a Hand in Thanksgiving Day Parade". Farmington-Farmington Hills, MI Patch. November 17, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  10. ^ The Museum of Classic Chicago Television (www.FuzzyMemories.TV) (January 22, 2008), Hot Fudge Show (Part 4, 1974), retrieved November 20, 2024
  11. ^ Lyman, David. "Metro Detroit composer Dan Yessian's music heads to Armenia, his homeland". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  12. ^ "Local work 'An Armenian Trilogy' commemorates 100th anniversary of genocide". FOX 2 Detroit. September 29, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  13. ^ "SCREEN | Yessian Scores One World Observatory | February 2021 Stories". screenmag.com. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  14. ^ McFarlin, Jim (December 29, 2011). "Detroit Jingle Masters Go International". Hour Detroit Magazine. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  15. ^ Magazine, Screen (May 16, 2024). "Yessian Music, Wave Studios Shine as Winners Honored at 2024 AMP Awards". Screen Magazine. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Turner, Grace (July 2018). "Dan Yessian to be Inducted into Detroit's Adcraft Hall of Fame for Advertising Jingles". DBusiness. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  17. ^ "Dan Yessian inducted into the Adcraft Hall of Fame". FOX 2 Detroit. July 20, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  18. ^ SCHWARTZ, ALISON (February 2, 2012). "Yessian Music scores with Super Bowl advertising work". New Haven Register. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  19. ^ "The Men Behind The Music Behind The Super Bowl Commercials". HuffPost. February 4, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  20. ^ Kifner, John. "Armenian Genocide of 1915: An Overview - New York Times". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Dargay, Sharon. "Dan Yessian reflects on 1915 massacre through music". Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  22. ^ "Music Evokes Emotions from Armenian Genocide". thejewishnews.com. June 10, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Hinds, Julie (June 11, 2020). "'Armenian Trilogy' film on Detroit composer's journey is now online". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  24. ^ "Michigan Composer To Debut 3-Part Orchestral Work In Armenia - CBS Detroit". www.cbsnews.com. October 9, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
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