This song was written for a mission downtown focusing on the homeless. The characters in the song are a composite of the homeless that are present in every city. I wanted to write a song on their behalf.

– Dan’s voice and guitar
– lead (Gary Smyth – STRINGERS)
– bass (D’Arcy Booth – DEVON COYOTE)
– drums (Dylan Ranney – SWAMP HONEY)
– harmony (Barb McQuary – ARTIST)

A Simple Act of Kindness (2:35)

Be the One (4:53)

What a year 2020 is turning out to be. With COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter, we seem to be more divided than ever while pushing responsibility onto everyone else but ourselves. The phrase has been used previously, “Be the change you want to see” so I didn’t use the phrase. I just wanted to challenge people to take responsibility for the world they want to live in.

– Dan’s voice
– piano, organ, strings, harmony (Roman Picco – RAZ)

This song is based on a true story. I was golfing with a work friend at a golf course I had not yet played. On one of the holes I asked my friend where to hit my drive. He said to just drive it straight, so I did, but I missed the dogleg left and now had to use a stroke to come back to the fairway. I had driven straight but in the wrong direction. Kind of like trying to win an argument and forgetting about relationship.

– Dan’s voice and guitar
– drums and lead guitar (Jacob DaRosa – ARTIST)
– bass (Peter Weber – JETHRO TULL COVER)
– organ (Bernie Roy – BUDDY AND FRIENDS)
– harmony (Norm Strauss – NORM STRAUSS BAND)

Drivin’ Straight (3:11)

Generations of Kindness (3:26)

Four stories of four Thiessen men (yes, that’s me in verse three) who have impacted their world with kindness. My grandfather, father, myself and my son. What will be your family’s legacy?

– Dan’s guitar and voice
– bass, vocal and harmony (Norm Strauss – NORM STRAUSS)
– piano and keyboard (Roman Picco – RAZ)
– drums (Rolly Rangno – ROLLY RANGNO BAND)
– harmony (Lee Strauss – ARTIST)

How does one encapsulate a life of 95 years into one song? I did my best. This song is to honor my mother, the kindest, gentlest person I have ever known.

– Dan’s voice and guitar
– mandolin, banjo (Graham Ord – SWAMP HONEY)
– bass (Doug Buss – ARTIST)
– harmony (Barb McQuary – ARTIST)

How She Loved (4:32)

I Have Seen (3:57)

One reaches a point in life where you spend a lot more time looking back than forward. What impact have I made? Was it positive? Was I kind? What is my legacy? I try to answer those questions in this song

– Dan’s voice and guitar
– piano/keyboard (Ian Stewart – WESTBANK GRAND OL’ OPRY)
– bass (Doug Buss – ARTIST)

People often see us better than we see ourselves. Whether it is the negativity or self-talk we bow to or words from parents, family or friends that play like a recording in our head. I like to spend a lot of time trying to build people up, to put a positive voice in their head, to show them I see them better than they see themselves. To sow kindness.

– Dan’s voice and guitar
– bass (D’Arcy Booth – DEVON COYOTE)
– drums (Dylan Ranney – SWAMP HONEY)
– harmony (Niki Martinus – NIKI MARTINUS MUSIC)
– ukulele (Jackson Buller – ARTIST)
– harmonica (Curtis Tulman – CRUZEROS)

I See You(2:49)

I Will Arise (2:55)

This song I wrote as a gift to myself… and in faith. Life had taken some horrendous turns and I was suffering seeing a positive end to any of it. In faith, I wrote this song about choosing to “come alive” and like the Phoenix from days of yore, rise from the ashes. Just trying to be kind to myself.

– Dan’s voice, guitar and piano/organ
– fiddle (Shamma Sabir – SHAMMA SABIR MUSIC)
– harmony (Barb McQuary, Shelly Burger, Sandy McAfee)
– bass (Peter Weber – JETHRO TULL COVER)
– drums (Peter MacKenzie – VELVET EARS)

How you ever been in public and seen people act out for no particular reason? Well, there’s always a reason, it’s just not always known. This song simply begs for more grace to be shown when people react the way they do because we don’t always know the back story. Grace is always better. Grace is kindness expressed.

– Dan’s guitar, voice and piano
– bass (Graeme Siewert – SHAPES AND SHADOWS)
– acoustic lead guitar (Jimmy Leguilloux – THE HIP REPLACEMENTS)
– harmony (Barb McQuary – ARTIST)

If I Could Do Anything (4:44)

If This Were the Last Song (2:42)

If I were to sing one song with my dying breath, what would I want to say? Be kind. That’s it that’s all.

– Dan’s voice and guitar
– bass (D’Arcy Booth – DEVON COYOTE)
– drums (Dylan Ranney – SWAMP HONEY)
– steel guitar, piano, organ, lead guitar (Ian Stewart – WESTBANK GRAND OL’ OPRY)
– solo, harmony (Barb McQuary – ARTIST)

When a relationship disintegrates and you don’t know the reason, there are a lot of questions in your head. I’ve tried to boil down those questions to just two… “Is it you, or is it me?”

– Dan’s voice and piano/strings
– violin (Shamma Sabir – SHAMMA SABIR MUSIC)
– harmony (Shelly Burger – ARTIST)

Is it You? (5:12)

Singer of Songs (3:38)

At the end of the day I am a singer of songs. I write them and I sing them. For me it is as natural as breathing. Evidently it is not as natural for others. For me to be me I need to be communicating through my writing… songs from my heart. I hope this project has shown you my heart.

– Dan’s voice and guitar
– lead (Jimmy Leguilloux – THE HIP REPLACEMENTS)
– drums (Rolly Rangno – THE ROLLY RANGNO BAND)
– bass, harmony (Norm Strauss – NORM STRAUSS)
– organ/piano (Roman Picco – RAZ)

Oftentimes the givers in life seldom receive. Selfless acts are great and I pray they continue. But I also pray those performing selfless acts receive the strength needed to perform such acts. Many run on empty and give anyways. There are not many songs “out there” like this one. Sometimes the kind ones need some kindness…

– Dan’s guitar
– bass (D’Arcy Booth – DEVON COYOTE)
– solo, harmony (Niki Martinus – NIKI MARTINUS MUSIC)
– piano/strings (Roman Picco – RAZ)

Sometimes (3:22)

We Will Get Through This (4:08)

I have begun to view life in seasons. It’s easier that way since all seasons end… at some point. Whatever you are currently going through, no matter what season you are in, you’re going to get through this. It is a season and seasons change… it’s just a matter of time.

– Dan’s voice and guitar
– drums (Dylan Ranney – SWAMP HONEY)
– lead/steel/acoustic guitar (Graham Ord – SWAMP HONEY)
– bass (D’Arcy Booth – DEVON COYOTE)
– harmony/choir (Norm Strauss – NORM STRAUSS)
– lead/rhythm (Gary Smyth – STRINGERS)
– harmony (Barb McQuary – ARTIST)

I thought 2019 was a bad year. I had no idea what was coming in 2020. I wrote this song at the end of 2019 (actually on New Year’s day, 2020) to encourage myself to see a different future and to write a brand new script every day.

And then The Kindness Project was dropped into my lap.

– Dan’s guitar and voice
– piano and vocal (Kate MacColl – KATE MACCOLL MUSIC)
– bass (Peter Weber – JETHRO TULL COVER)

Another Year (2:42)