Difference United

DIFFERENCE UNITED

From Nashville to Romania to India and beyond, the sounds of DREAM AGAIN
the energy packed debut album from Difference United (DU) are resonating to the far corners of the earth. The group’s live shows, radio singles, and TV performances have many wondering: What is it that makes Difference United so different? It’s not just the music ,which is a unique alchemy of Euro-pop stylings blended with an American rock edge and attitude, and then christened with forward-thinking, hope-filled lyrics , it begins with the very foundation of the band. In fact, just about everything about Difference United differentiates them from accepted conventions.

Date: January 2005
Location: Galle, Sri Lanka

“ I was surrounded by chaos,” says Aaron, the founder of Difference United. “After arriving in Sri Lanka, we had traveled south from the capitol to an area devastated only a week earlier by a massive tsunami that had been triggered by a 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Indonesia. I was shocked as we passed building after building that had been smashed into rubble. It looked like a war zone. We came upon a location where the tsunami had swept a passenger train off its tracks. The tracks themselves had been twisted and mangled into unrecognizable shapes by the power of the water. I later learned that over 3,000 people were killed onboard that train alone. Nearby were refugee camps teeming with people who had lost everything: homes, jobs, family members…all that was of value had simply disappeared. All told, over 30,000 people had perished along the coast of Sri Lanka. I found myself feeling overwhelmed and at a loss for words. I had come hoping to make a difference somehow, but physically there was little I could do to help the people. The need was simply too overwhelming. I started to grow frustrated with myself because I didn’t know how I could help or what I could say to encourage those who were hurting so badly. How could I possibly understand what they were going through? I had seen a lot of rough things working in Eastern Europe during the years leading up to that day, but never before had I seen a situation so desperate. I wanted to do something. I wanted to encourage the people, to give them hope, but did not know how.”

That night, frustrated and unable to sleep, Aaron wrote the song “Dream Again” on a small keyboard in his hotel room. The trip to Sri Lanka changed Aaron’s life in a way he never could have imagined. On the flight back to Nashville, he began to form a vision. His desire was to somehow use the universal medium of music to take a message of hope into second and third world countries. That vision led to the formation of Difference United.

Flash forward to northeast India, April of 2007

The roar of the crowd is deafening. 30,000 people are packed into the center of the city. There is electricity in the air as Difference United takes the stage. Over a million people are watching live, via cable, as the band rocks the city as part of the
Dream Again tour. That night and over the course of the group’s two weeks tour in India over 20,000 people make personal decisions to accept Christ into their lives. For the members of the band, this is what they live for.

There is an excitement in the music of DU that crosses international and religious boundaries, bringing people together from all walks of life. This can be heard in the group’s current single “Raindrops,” which has gained radio airplay in places as diverse as Bucharest, Romania and Hyderabad, India.

The current members of Difference United include:

Deanna Dawn Denning – Lead vocalist
Aaron Miller – Keyboard/BGV’s/ Composer
David Lowry- Lead guitar
Craig Woelber- Bass/ BGV’s
Chad Sylva – Drums

Each member of DU brings his/her own unique style and personality to the group. With soaring guitar solos, David adds a rock edge to Aaron’s distinctly European keyboard style. Craig and Chad form the backbone of DU’s sound, driving the group’s signature energy throughout the show. Deanna Dawn Denning shines as she performs the group’s pop anthems to audiences of all ages around the world. The group’s diverse musical backgrounds/styles combine to create a sound that is distinctly fresh and uplifting in nature. At a recent press conference Aaron was asked what specifically he felt was drawing people to the music of Difference United. “Ultimately, I think it goes much deeper than just the music in the sense of entertainment. I truly believe that people are hungry for meaning and purpose. Ultimately I think people are drawn to the message of hope that can be found throughout the music and lyrics of each song. ”

In a world filled with hopelessness and desperation, Difference United is striving to rally people together towards a greater good through music. Ultimately, Aaron found the voice he was looking for that tragic day in Sri Lanka and now his message and that of Difference United to