Dayna Bee on SoundBetter

Hi, I’m Dayna Bee! I specialize in violin/fiddle, as well as composing & arranging string sections for albums or singles.

I have been playing violin since the age of four and feel very lucky to now have this passion as my career! My role in the music industry has now expanded to not only offering solo violin/fiddle on sessions but composing full string sections.
With my background & degree in classical music and a vast knowledge of music theory, I have a wide understanding of how to compose strings to appropriately suit and compliment each song. I’ve always felt that strings add another layer and dimension to music that cannot come from any other instrument.
I love collaborating with artists and finding precisely how to accommodate to their style and vision, and above all, how to make them happy!

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Dayna Bee

The War and Treaty
The War and Treaty
The War and Treaty
The War and Treaty
Dayna Bee
Dayna Bee
The War and Treaty

9 Reviews

Endorse Dayna Bee

by Lukas B.
Verified
Dayna delivered! And with patience through revisions and requests. Very happy with the results.
by Benjamin J.
Verified
Dayna's violin playing on my pop-jazz ballad is unbelievably beautiful. I asked Dayna to play something that had already been transcribed by my arranger and me. I was (and still am) so impressed with Dayna's technique and I'm totally pleased with the tracks that she recorded for me. On the business side, Dayna and I communicated well with each other and she was super easy to work with. I highly recommend her to anyone who's looking for the music services that she offers.
by Chris O.
Verified
Dayna was extremely easy to work with, prompt, and most importantly, she recorded some great fiddle tracks for my tune! She elevated the song with her playing, no doubt about it. Whenever I need more fiddle or violin I'll be contacting her. Thanks Dayna!
by JS
Verified
Dayna is a sweetheart and was willing to work with me to get the results I wanted for my track. She is quick with her responses and gets the work to you on time.
by Emily Kidd
Dayna Bee is my first call fiddle player for recordings and live shows! She is always professional, receptive, and easy to work with. She writes beautiful fiddle parts and is great on the fly too. And she does BGVs! A stellar musician all around.
by Matt Siffert
Dayna was an absolutely incredible collaborator. In addition to having a unique, beautifully rich tone and great musical ideas, she was kind, timely, and willing to do as many re-takes as I wanted. I can't recommend her highly enough!
by Clayton Colvin
Dayna Bee is a total pro! I’ve worked with Dayna in the studio and on stage and I would recommend her to anyone looking for some tasty string arrangements. She plays the part that serves the song and is easy to work with but most importantly she occasionally brings delicious baked goods!
by Richard Dyke
I worked with Dayna for a one off arrangment and performance with a rock act I manage. She was incredible, very punctual, communication was fantastic. She really nailed the brief and was a pleasure to work with. She is extremely talented and I will forever make her my go to when any of my clients need string arrangements.
by King Corduroy
Dayna is my go-to for all my session needs. She writes brilliant string arrangements and can also lay down killer fiddle fills and solos. She is easy to work with, organized and punctual. When I have had a low budget she plays all the parts on violin and viola. Her tone is sold gold and she has a great roster of players to fill a section for any live or studio settings. She has a great ear; you can sing her a line and she'll play it right back to you.

Interview with Dayna Bee

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I recently finished composing/arranging/recording the strings for the new War & Treaty album. I'm so proud of the creativity I was allowed to put into these parts and I'm thrilled to hear how they fit into each song.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: At the moment I'm working on finishing up a few string arrangements that will be recorded soon, and getting ready for the release of a few songs I've played fiddle on.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: My promise to my clients is that what I add to their songs will only enhance it. My job is to make things sound better by what I add to them. I won't stop working until they're satisfied with the over all sound.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: What I like most about my job is the marriage between creativity and the background of my classical education. I know the "rules" for composing and music theory but I also get to create and experiment with new sounds and things that haven't been done before.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That sometimes less is more.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My violin, my LR Baggs DI, staff paper, Zoom recorder, keyboard
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Pat Lyons is a heck of an instrumentalist- I've used him on pedal steel at live gigs and recording session- brilliant musician Charles Yingling- patient and easy to work with producer/engineer/mixer that always brings incredible and original ideas to projects, has great ears!
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: I like to ask clients what they are looking to get out of the song and what THEY think strings can do for their song.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been playing violin since the age of four so as far as performance and recording, I've been doing that a long time. I've been composing and arranging for the last three years or so, even though I learned the skills while I was in college.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: My style really is a mix because I pull inspiration from so many different kinds of music. I was trained with a classical music background so there are elements of composition that I will never let go of because of my training. However, I love the sounds of motown and old r&b, so that plays a huge role in the way I compose.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with Quincy Jones. He is true musical genius and has worked in so many genres of music and has produced brilliant music over and over again.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I usually work with Americana artists but I have worked with many other genres. I never want to be pigeonholed into only working with one genre, I love a challenge and I love to continue working on a well rounded craft.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is being able to listen to a song one time and immediately begin to hear a string part in my head. This always happens for me which allows me to work quickly and listen to my musical intentions.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I think adding the element of strings to a song can do so much. For some songs it turns into a part, with memorable lines that get stuck in your head. Some songs don't need that..some just need some layering to boost the song and lift choruses and melodies.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Typically if a client sends me a song that needs a string section on it, I take a listen to the song and assess how heavy of a string part it needs. Not all songs need full strings. I usually send them a rough draft of my ideas on the song and parts that I think can really enhance and highlight the song. I'm happy to send as many drafts as needed until we work out a part that we both love. Once that's settled, I'm able to record the song from home and send it back to them.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I'm heavily inspired by Quincy Jones and Phil Spector.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: The most common type of work I do for clients includes composing, arranging and recordings string sections and recordings fiddle overdubs. I'm able to record remotely so clients will frequently send me songs that need strings added to them.