Chasing After Wind

Chasing After Wind is a compendium of observations from a writer, musician, and Christian. It is also the name of his new cd. In other words, welcome to the world, writing, and music of Daniel Lee (Dan) Roark:

During a summer job during junior high, Dan bought a new guitar and – using the knowledge he had retained from earlier lessons – basically taught himself. He wrote poems and occasional songs through high school. His senior year found him writing a music review column for the school paper, the Hoofbeat, as well as poems, songs, and short stories.

After attending North Texas State University (now University of North Texas), Dan played in the band Southern Plains or as a duo with Joel Nichols, for twenty-five years. Dan also wrote articles and columns for newspapers and magazines into the 1990’s, continuing his music review column in one form/publication or another as well as humor columns. In 1995, Dan wrote and self-published his book, “Showcasing and Networking at Music Conferences, Trade Shows, and Showcases.”

Between 1996 and 2003, Dan wrote articles for the Disc Golf World News magazine and wrote the first Disc Golf short story. He also edited and published the North Texas Disconnection newsletter. From 2003 to 2005, he researched and wrote “The Minutes of Salem Baptist Church,” which was located in Salem, north of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Dan’s great-great grandfather, Joseph Roark, gave part of his land for the church building, and Dan’s ancestors, from Joseph down through Daniel Blythe Roark (Dan’s grandfather), attended the church.

Dan stopped playing guitar in 1999 when his musical partner of twenty-five years, Joel Nichols, passed away. Dan, and his wife, Cyndy’s, three boys were younger and beginning to play Little League, join the Cub Scouts, and so on. After a couple of years, he began writing songs again and played in the annual church talent show. Now the boys are in their late teens and early twenties and all three play guitar on different levels. It is time to return to the music he loved and played for many years, and make new music. Dan released a new cd in January, 2014, and is playing gigs around Dallas, while preparing for a tour around Texas and elsewhere. He continues to write songs, is editing his book of poetry for publication in the near future, and has plans for other musical and writing projects.