What do Christmas songs, a simple harbor-style cod dish, and people of very different beliefs have in common? In this episode of Layer by Layer Go!, we gather everyone around the same table for The Perfect Christmas Party — a warm, thoughtful, and surprisingly practical look at what makes Christmas resonate across cultures, religions, and even non-belief. We explore the real origin stories behind classic Christmas songs like Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Silent Night, Rudolph the Red-Nosed R...
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What do Christmas songs, a simple harbor-style cod dish, and people of very different beliefs have in common? In this episode of Layer by Layer Go!, we gather everyone around the same table for The Perfect Christmas Party — a warm, thoughtful, and surprisingly practical look at what makes Christmas resonate across cultures, religions, and even non-belief. We explore the real origin stories behind classic Christmas songs like Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Silent Night, Rudolph the Red-Nosed R...
What do Christmas songs, a simple harbor-style cod dish, and people of very different beliefs have in common? In this episode of Layer by Layer Go!, we gather everyone around the same table for The Perfect Christmas Party — a warm, thoughtful, and surprisingly practical look at what makes Christmas resonate across cultures, religions, and even non-belief. We explore the real origin stories behind classic Christmas songs like Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Silent Night, Rudolph the Red-Nosed R...
In this warm and uplifting Season 3 opener, we slow down for a simple Christmas moment — sugar cookies, childhood traditions, a little holiday history, and a reminder of what makes real human creativity so powerful in a world full of artificial noise. You’ll learn the surprising origins of Christmas cookies, get a classic homemade sugar cookie recipe you can bake tonight, and hear the story behind the best-selling Christmas song of all time — “White Christmas.” And inside that story is the he...
This week on Layer By Layer GO!, we wrap up the Smooth & Easy trilogy with an episode I’ve been itching to create — The Wall of Don. Today, we’re going deep into the lineage, the legends, and the production DNA behind my vision for finishing “Smooth & Easy” at the next level. In Episode 22, The Spark, we opened the vault and brought an old idea back to life. In Episode 23, Laying the Lyrics, we shaped the words and the story. And now, Episode 24 brings everything together. We’re exp...
This week on Layer By Layer GO!, we’re taking the next bold step in finishing an original song I started years ago: “Smooth & Easy.” In Episode 22, I shared the raw track and the first draft of the lyrics. Today in Episode 23, we lay those lyrics into the groove — locking in rhythm, phrasing, story, and emotional flow. This is where the song finally starts to feel real. Along the way: 🎵 Songwriting Breakthrough: How to decide where each lyric lands, what syllables carry the groove,...
Sometimes an unfinished idea just needs time to breathe. In this episode, Don opens the vault on an original song first started back in 2018 — “Smooth and Easy.” What began as a few chords and a feeling now becomes the spark for a brand-new creative journey. We’ll talk about rediscovering old inspiration, the art of balance, and how a simple French dish can remind us to keep life smooth, easy, and beautifully layered. This week’s featured recipe: Salade Niçoise — fresh tuna, eggs, green bean...
In this week’s Layer By Layer GO!, Don reminds us that imitation might teach the basics—but authenticity makes the music. 🎙️ From Debbie Harry’s raw charisma to David Byrne’s fearless originality, this episode dives into what it really means to find your own tone in songwriting, cooking, and life. Don also shares a rich, classic French Coq au Vin recipe—mushrooms, bacon, red wine, the whole symphony—and ties it all together with journaling prompts to help you uncover your truest creativ...
What if your greatest moment wasn’t planned — it just happened? In 1973, a little-known session singer named Clare Torry walked into Abbey Road Studios for a £30 gig… and delivered one of the most soul-stirring performances ever recorded. This episode tells her story — from that spontaneous, wordless vocal on Pink Floyd’s The Great Gig in the Sky to her later fight to be recognized as its co-writer. It’s a reminder that your own “greatest gig” could appear in an ordinary day, a simple meal,...
Before the holidays hit full blast, we’re stacking flavor, sound, and inspiration. This short episode blends three new recipe reels, a classic song study, and a journaling spark to keep your creative energy rising through the season. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 01:08 – Stairway to Heaven Canvas Print 01:25 – Songwriter Ideas & Drill 02:54 – In the Kitchen (3 Recipes) 05:37 – Journaling Prompt 05:56 – Outro Inside this episode 👇 • Songwriting Drill: What does laughter look like? ...
📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION A heartfelt reflection on what it truly means to love as you live — and love in the end. In this soothing, gently humorous episode, Don shares the story behind his 1993 song “And In The End,” recorded in his Santa Ana, California home studio while still writing and performing with his band Eden from St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. The track, a hypnotic “Hey Jude”-style finale from his album Inspirations, reminds us that love isn’t something we save for later — it’s something we pra...
Season 2 of Layer By Layer GO! kicks off with clarity, warmth, and a touch of humor. Don peels back the fog to share how simply showing up—one layer at a time—keeps life (and creativity) moving forward. This week’s recipe is a bright Lemon-Herb White Fish and the Song of the Week is “Here Comes the Sun.”
This week’s special edition of Layer By Layer GO! brings together some of the best moments from our first run of episodes — the music trivia that popped, the recipes that got people cooking, and the life hacks that keep you moving forward. Whether you’re new here or you’ve been with us since Episode 1, this Greatest Hits collection is a perfect way to revisit the highlights. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 00:30 – Freewriting Drill (Ep 1) 03:19 – 90-Day Plan (Ep 2) 05:32 – No Drill (Ep 4)...
What if the wrong chord, the burned dessert, or the clumsy stumble was actually the beginning of something new? In this episode of Layer By Layer GO!, we discover how mistakes can turn into music, flavor, and wisdom. 🐾 Inside the Dawg Story, Donnie’s sour notes, Bubba’s blunders, Whiskers’ burned desserts, and Melody’s half-remembered tune all collide into a jam session — with Dreamweaver swooping in to remind us that the sweetest things often begin as accidents. You’ll also learn how to make...
This week we open The Book of Dawg to Chapter 1: The Stew of Diversity. Donnie Dawg and his friends discover why one ingredient alone doesn’t make a meal — or a life. From jambalaya to The Beatles’ Yesterday, to lessons on fanbases and artist managers, we stir up a layered recipe of music, food, and wisdom. Plus, the Rockvale Wheel spin closes us out with a full song from Don’s catalog. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Introduction 00:30 – Meet the Crew of the Book of Dawg 01:25 – Chapter 1: ...
Victory is possible. In this episode, I share my own battle with the music giants and how persistence paid off, then flip the spotlight to your victories — big or small. We’ll cook up a hearty autumn casserole, debut the brand-new Rockvale Wheel, revisit Queen’s victory anthem in Today in Chart History, and wrap with a songwriter’s drill inside The Pen Den. Between these weekly episodes, don’t miss the daily Flight Plans and Music Trivia shorts I post — quick bites to keep you inspired layer ...
🎙️ This week’s Sunday sermon is all about going BIG.Last week we preached “Less Is More,” but sometimes… less just isn’t enough. Sometimes the only option is Go Big or Go Home.In this episode:✈️ The Ultimate Lyric Writing Drill (Henley + Mercury method)🥘 Go Big Skillet Mac & Cheese — comfort food for hungry songwriters✅ Life Hack: The Yes/No Drill (ditch the maybes for good)🌻 Tribute: Brian Wilson’s Sunflower, Surf’s Up, and the legacy of Love & MercySpecial note: This blog post versi...
Today’s Flight Plan covers it all in under four minutes: headlines on DC crime and community safety, three quick kitchen hacks to make produce last longer, a songwriting spark for your journal, and a flashback to Kurt Cobain’s unforgettable Reading Festival stunt. Quick, sharp, and ready to fly. Layer by Layer Go — wheels up! 👉 Support the show: coff.ee/layerbylayergo 👉 Grab the Layer By Layer GO! Journal: Amazon link 👉 More at LayerByLayerGO.com
What if the biggest legacies in life begin with the smallest seeds? In this episode of Layer By Layer GO!, Don explores the power of restraint, persistence, and simplicity: Yellowstone – Taylor Sheridan’s one script that Hollywood rejected again and again, until persistence turned it into an empire.Beth Dutton & She – the Yellowstone character who inspired Don’s award-winning song, now streaming in The Vault.Tubthumping – one chorus shouted around the world, and how Don & The Tans mad...
📝 Episode Description Today’s Focus Day Flight Plan is all about discipline and productivity — with a few laughs along the way. 🧠 Productivity Drill → The “Daily Big 3” method to beat overwhelm.🎵 Songwriter Focus Drill → Turn real fan searches into your next hook.🍳 Energy Hack → Coffee + protein keeps focus steady.📰 Today in the News → Washington headlines + market jitters.🎶 Today in Chart History → 40 years back, Huey Lewis & The News topped the charts with “The Power of Love.”👉 Journali...
Stage Fright Masterclass (How to Turn Nerves into Power In this Stage Fright Masterclass, Don breaks down five Icebreaker lessons to turn nerves into confidence: The First 10 Seconds RuleKnow Your Plot Before You Step on StageThe Bridge: Keeping Them With YouThe Killer EndingThe Encore: Turning One Win into MomentumFeaturing a SongStudy on Imagine Dragons’ Believer, a recipe for Parmesan & Herb Spaghetti, and a “This Day in Music” segment celebrating Tears for Fears’ Shout hitting #1 on A...
Episode 10 of Layer By Layer GO! dives deep into the art of writing songs that live and breathe in today’s market. Forget chasing the past — it’s time to start writing for the living. In this Halloween-tinged special, we: Explore who’s cutting songs right now and why it mattersBreak down Dirt Cheap by Cody Johnson in our Featured Song StudyCook up Blackened Salmon & Succotash in the recipe segmentIntroduce The Modern Muse Drill for songwriting inspirationDebut the Music Vault — my persona...
What do Christmas songs, a simple harbor-style cod dish, and people of very different beliefs have in common? In this episode of Layer by Layer Go!, we gather everyone around the same table for The Perfect Christmas Party — a warm, thoughtful, and surprisingly practical look at what makes Christmas resonate across cultures, religions, and even non-belief. We explore the real origin stories behind classic Christmas songs like Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Silent Night, Rudolph the Red-Nosed R...
