The dimly lit room was packed.  People stood shoulder to shoulder, filling all corners of the floor and the balcony.  a quartet of performers stood on stage as Daniel Cheeks stepped up to the microphone, sweating underneath a Frank Sinatra t-shirt and a gray tweed jacket.  His red suspenders sparkled in the light.
The first word to each verse and chorus were inked on his hand:
“When I wake the blues will find me/When I wake the clouds will be hangin’ over my head pourin’ over me/ When I wake I’ll feel so lonely ‘til I look beside and see your big ol’ brown eyes smiling back at me…”
Cheeks was a member of the Arts & Communications Pathway at David Douglas High School in Portland, Oregon.  The Pathway class was required to learn how to play instruments, write songs, and form bands.  The Winter Rock Show displayed all of the hard work the students put in to their music.
“It’s me in those lyrics.  That’s why it means so much to me,” Cheeks said, wearing thick-rimmed glasses and a green hat with a red feather in it. The first song Cheeks learned to play was Mary Had a Little Lamb on the viola in the 4^th grade.
While his music carries him to beautiful places, Cheeks’ life hasn’t always been drum rolls and guitar strums.
Cheeks grew up in Astoria, Oregon.  His parents divorced when he turned seven, and his dad was incarcerated around the same time. When his dad left, he gave Cheeks a big responsibility: “You are the man of the house now,” he told his son.
Things got worse.  His mom eventually lost her job, the car, and the house.
Life at that time was like dominoes toppling over, but there was always one person he could depend on: his grandmother.  She always provided them with a place to stay when they needed it.
“My grandma is the most important person in my life,” Cheeks said.  “A lot of me wanting to be successful comes from me wanting to repay her.”
Being the “man of the house” took an emotional toll on Cheeks.  He watched over his little brother and tried to take care of his mom, who went through a series of bad boyfriends.
When Cheeks turned 11, his family moved to Portland where his mom’s boyfriend, a recovering drug addict, lived.  Their relationship was tumultuous.  Whenever they broke up, there would be a big blowout in the house.
“It was like we were just waiting for it,” Cheeks said.
Learning how to develop his musical skill helped Cheeks get through difficult times.  He joined his school orchestra and stuck with it all the way through senior year, earning a state soloist award for two consecutive years.  Despite his success, Cheeks said he hid behind the instrument with the comfort of “playing someone else’s music in a big group.”
His Arts and Communications teacher, Mr. Franzen, encouraged him to try singing during his senior year.
“He made me believe in what I was doing,” Cheeks said.
Having always been the “shy kid” at school, Cheeks stepped out of his comfort zone.  Singing helped him develop both as a musician and as a person.  He started to focus more on music and writing, drawing inspiration from musicians like Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, and Jack Johnson.  Cheeks wrangled up other musicians to play and record his songs with him.
“I tend to care about people,” he said.  “I write about things I feel silly saying outright, and things I’d like to express with a song because a song is kind of like a disguise.”
Cheeks has written three songs about one girl.
His biggest dream is to become a jazz singer with a big band, but “growing up in my generation, I can’t write and compose stuff like that.”
Cheeks doesn’t have a specific goal with music right now.  He is pursuing a career in journalism instead because he wants to travel, listen to stories, and connect with people.  However, he plans to continue playing and writing music.
His band members change depending on where he is; there are different musicians for just about every track on his demo CD.  Now at the University, Cheeks is on the lookout for guitarists to collaborate with.
Looking back on all the challenges he overcame at a young age, Cheeks said he would not trade the experience for anything.
“I don’t regret how I grew up.  I grew up really fast; I had to grow up,” he said.
strumming that guitar, and singing away the pain he’s endured, Cheeks has came a long way from performing Mary Had a Little Lamb on a viola.
Check out Daniel Cheeks’ music Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/danielcheeks