David Dillion-Hernandez
David Dillion-Hernandez
Image courtesy of artist
19-year-old singer-songwriter David Nathaniel knew from an early age that, if not anything else, he had music. David was born in Detroit, Michigan to an Afro-Panamanian father and an African-American mother. The mix of cultures quickly exposed him to a diverse range of sounds and inspired him early on to start singing.
Although singing had always been a part of David's life, he began vocal training specializing in musical theater at age 12. As he developed, he would compete in vocal competitions and earned the highest award in Michigan for "Solo Musical Theater" as a high schooler. Honing his craft during the age of the internet was a blessing for David and his music. With it, he discovered acts like Adele, Ruth B., and Conan Gray to name a few, and found what he'd come to fall in love with—songwriting.
Having taught himself guitar via YouTube and written originals throughout middle school and high school, naturally, David thought to audition for colleges that would foster his abilities. His search ultimately led him to Berklee College of Music where he received a Presidential Scholarship award to attend in the fall of 2022.
During his time at Berklee, he has been able to record an EP titled "Michigan" about his life before moving away for college. On it, he bears his soul on four tracks detailing topics ranging from learning to believe in himself amidst doubters to accepting himself for being queer. Nathaniel's EP "Michigan" is set to release on June 30th.