Latest Posts
Local Legends to Global Brands: The Ed Victor Story Part 2
Ed Victor and I have had a number of experiences working together in the advertising industry…between Spirit Airlines and Think Ford First, as well as the Emmy winning television show “Details Detroit”. I wrote the music, and he was the voice. Ed himself is a successful voice actor having lent his...
Freedom, Family, and Remembering the Fallen
A letter from Dan Yessian If you’re reading this, then it’s likely that you already know me or have been following my work and various journeys…but my story never would have happened if my parents hadn’t embarked on their own journeys and immigrated to the United States of America. The “old...
Presenting my interview with Ed Victor
Presenting my interview with Ed Victor; Voice Actor, Producer, and Entrepreneur. I would recommend that any Communications or Marketing students give this a good listen. Yes, Ed can be funny and entertaining…but when you hear about all of his ups-and-downs during his advertising career, you start...
How ‘An Armenian Trilogy’ Came to Be
In 2014 I sat down at my piano and started writing the beginnings of what would become “An Armenian Trilogy”. The centennial of the Armenian Genocide was approaching fast and I was inspired by Father Garabed Kochakian’s vision of a musical commemoration as a tribute. 2015 marked the premiere of...
Watercolor Dreams Premieres Today
Sometimes good things take a while to be ready…like a delicious gumbo, or a blooming flower. Our new song “Watercolor Dreams” certainly took a long time to prepare…but I would say that the wait has been well worth it. Kenny Watson shines in this latest video, with additional vocals by Nancy Ingles...
New Music Alert – “Watercolor Dreams”
Coming next week on Youtube…make sure you’re subscribed! A new original music video featuring the talented Kenny Watson, titled “Watercolor Dreams”. Lyrics by David Barrett Music by Dan Yessian Production by Ohad Wilner Please subscribe to Dan Yessian Creative for earliest access to all the latest...
Armenian Name Game
What’s in a name? I’ve been asked why Armenian surnames all seem to end in “-ian” or “-yan”...Did you know that is actually a suffix, meaning “of”? It can mean “son of”, “descendant of”, or it could indicate a geographic origin, and it could even be a an occupation. A few years ago we put together...
Who doesn’t love a Boreg and some Basterma?
For me, nothing brings comfort like the food from my homeland of Armenia. Sure, hot dogs and hamburgers are fine from time to time. But who doesn’t love a Boreg and some Basterma? Watch “My Favorite Foods” Here!We look forward to sharing updates with you in the near future. As always for the...
Aram Khachaturian’s famous “Sabre Dance”
Here’s a look back at our re-arrangement of Aram Khachaturian’s famous “Sabre Dance”. It might be a little unorthodox to those familiar with the piece, but something tells me you’ve heard this melody before! In the spirit of fun and with reverence for the Classical Armenian composer…we present...
Why We Still Hum the Dittrich Furs Jingle 40 Years Later
About a year ago I got in touch with singer Larry Santos, and we caught up on a Zoom call. Larry and I had first met on a show titled “Hot Fudge” where we both wrote music for kids. The show aired in over 76 cities across the country. Larry’s voice was quite popular back then as he’d sung on so...
Dittrich Furs Jingle – A Strange Twist of Fate
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for me. With the announced closing of Dittrich Furs, there’s been a lot of attention given to the jingle that I penned. I never dreamt that something I did 40 years ago would bounce back at me…but, here I am. My producer Ohad and I sat down to chat about...
Follow Dan Yessian In The Media
Detroit knows the late Ernie Harwell as the voice of the Tigers for the duration of 42 seasons. I’d been a friend of the late Harwell’s for many years. Not just good friends but also cowriters of music. At some point Harwell approached me to write a theme song for the Detroit Tigers and it found...
From Jingles to Stanley Cups: The Story of “Red Wings, My Red Wings”
In the early 90s I was sought out to write a sports song for the Detroit Red Wings. After writing the melody and lyrics I needed to find a lead singer for the project. Having previously worked with Larry Santos - who sang the Dittrich Furs jingle along with host of other jingles - we found a...
A Message of Hope: “Keep On Keepin’ On”
2026 is here and we’re putting our best foot forward with new original music! I’ve been lucky to collaborate with many artists and songwriters over the years. This song — titled “Keep On Keepin’ On” — was co-written by myself and singer/songwriter Cassaundra Fitch. I brought in vocalist Kenny...
Dittrich Furs Closes After 132 Years — But the Jingle Lives Forever
It’s the end of an era, but music and culture lives forever. Detroit’s iconic Dittrich Furs has announced their closing, marking the end of a 132 year family run business. In the early 1980s I got a call from Hal Dittrich and I was asked to write a jingle for his business. It was to be catchy,...
Bless This Christmas | a Beautiful Collaboration
With Christmas right around the corner, we look back at a song I wrote some 20 years ago, titled "Bless This Christmas". I co-wrote it with Danny Beckerman, an Australian composer who resided at Yessian Music for a couple of years. Our vocalist, "D Train" Williams flew in from New York City to...