Growing up

My story begins in Knoxville, Tennessee where I grew up in a family of four that stayed together, one being my brother who I idolized. Just like my brother, I played competitive sports for years, but later convinced my parents my love for music was real and spent my time taking piano, bass and drum lessons, and writing and playing music. My love for music was equally matched by my love for the great outdoors. Living close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, my family spent a lot of time exploring, camping and visiting the mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina. I learned a lot about the mountains and parks, outdoor survival, and later shared my knowledge with my high school where I founded the Friends of the Smokies Club at Bearden High School.

When I was 15 years old, I was writing music and told my parents my goal was to go to Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and study audio engineering. I stayed focused on my goals, taking some college level courses in my senior year of high school and saving money for college. During middle school and high school, I worked as a U.S. Soccer Federation referee. In my senior year of high school, I worked as deli clerk for Publix where I received above average reviews and many customer compliments for my excellent customer service.

Education

When I began my college education at MTSU, I put school first. I made good friends, and for recreation I played in bands, organized events including my own venue “The Mothershack”. At MTSU I had the honor of studying audio production with capstone courses taught by John Hill and Daniel Pfiefer. I occasionally co-hosted the MTSU Student Radio (WMTS-FM). One of the most impactful parts of my education was my study abroad in Sweden. I visited many countries during my stay including Denmark, Norway, Finland, Russia, and Estonia. I was able to observe differences between the United States and other countries, the people, and priorities. I learned to get around on my own, pay more attention to environmental conservation, and gratitude for what I have and the United States. I learned a lot about diversity and how to interact with people of different backgrounds. After earning my audio production degree in four years as planned, I joined a small business in Nashville, Innovative Percussion.

Career

While working for Innovative Percussion, I developed hands on experience in manufacturing and production, including operating machinery, wood working, inspection, and domestic and international shipping. In addition to my full-time job, I gained experience working part-time as a concert stagehand and entertainment security. When the global pandemic impacted the United States, I was laid off. I moved back to the Knoxville, TN area to develop my family’s 50 acers in Townsend, Tennessee. I unexpectedly received a call from Innovative Percussion and was selectively one the few who were called back to keep the business alive because of my work ethic, positive attitude, and dedication. Proud to be part of an exceptional small company, I continued to support the company in multiple capacities until December 2020 when I decided to permanently move back to the Knoxville area. Consistent with my 2021goals, in April 2021, I began a new career path, working with Blackberry Farms as an Agricultural Technician. It’s my dream job, working outdoors on land, in gardens and with animals, and learning from knowledgeable co-workers including Master Gardener, John Coykendall, an internationally renowned horticulturalist and seed saver! To gain more experience on the Blackberry Farm, in 2022, I moved to a new position as a dog handler where I also explain to guests and make sure they enjoy meeting the truffle dogs. I’ve learned to milk sheep and am learning to make cheese on the farm.

Personal

Through my experience gained at Innovative Percussion working with wood, I started a wood working hobby. In 2019, my mother gave me several pairs of 1960 vintage spoons as a Christmas gift in hopes I would learn to play the spoons. I learned to play. Then a friend gave me a pair of bones. I learned to play the bones. I make bones in a small wood working shop for friends and family and sell bones under the name D’s Bones. See Ds’Bones in my Projects.

In my spare time, I continue to use my multi-instrument talents playing with the band, The SurfaceDwellers of Walland, TN. You can see more about the band on my projects pages. I love baking breads and sharing the breads I make. I continue to make time for outdoor recreation. I love to travel, especially to see my take in the national and international treasures. I love spending time with my life partner who I met at the Blackberry Farm. I’ve learned so much from her about sheep, cheese, dogs and more.

For more information about my projects and personal interests, see my Projects page, and for more information about my professional experience and education, see my Resume page or LinkedIn page.

Contact

To contact me, see my Contact page or email me at dakotaeddy@gmail.com.