Music, Code (& some Personal) Highlights of 2019

5 min readDec 15, 2019

TL;DR

I released music / played shows with six separate projects, launched six websites for my friends, moved to Williamsburg and started my first ever full-time job as a software developer this year. Thanks to all who were a part of it. 2020 vision up next 😈

January

January 1st: Announced version 2.0.0 of my personal website danhemerlein.com. Completely re-platformed using React and Contentful. Hosted on my very own DigitalOcean Droplet.

January 3rd: Announced my newest music project, minikit, a songwriting / production duo with my friend Katie Glasgow

January 16th: Announced minikitmusic.com, coded by me.

January 24th-27th: Spent a few days in scenic South Newfane, Vermont with my friends Jason and Davis.

January 28th: The debut minikit single, ‘4am (Good for You)’ is released.

January 28th: My first day freelancing with Thinx Inc. working on their sites: shethinx.com, speax.com & thinxbtwn.com.

February

February 2nd: Attended the NYC Monthly Music Hackathon where I was introduced to Sonic Pi for the first time.

February 20th: Played a release show with Panther Hollow at Trans Pecos in celebration of the release of our EP Atoms in the Universe.

album artwork for Atoms In The Universe by Panther Hollow

March

March 1st: Modern Diet released Sit Down and Dance, an EP we started writing and recording in 2016 during our senior year of college.

March 16th-18th: Attended a songwriting camp in the Hamptons with my friends Jack, Julia and Ryder.

March 26th: The second minikit single ‘Palms’ is released.

April

April 5th: Played a show with The Good Few on at Rockwood Stage 2. I broke a bass string on stage!

April 13th: Modern Diet played Berlin on Ave A. with our new lineup featuring Leah on drums and Emily on keys.

May

May 2nd: Played a show sitting in with Del Water Gap at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

Backstage with Del Water Gap in Canton, New York

May 3rd: Played with Del Water Gap in Winooski, Vermont as part of the Waking Windows Festival.

~May 20th: I had the idea to start a fashion brand called Young & Nauseous. More info coming soon!

May 24th: minikit’s first ever live performance, a SoFar Sounds show in Brooklyn.

June

June 14th: minikit’s third single ‘In The Dark’ is released.

June 20th: minikit’s second ever live performance at The Bowery Electric.

June 28th: Modern Diet releases the single ‘Dizzy’.

July

July 1st: I moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

July4th: Modern Diet releases the single ‘July 4th’.

July 10th-12th: Attended another songwriting camp in the Hampton’s organized by my friends Jack and Julia.

July 17th: launched cannonsmusic.com, a landing page for my friend Cannon Few, a musician currently based in Boston, MA.

July 24th: Modern Diet plays Our Wicked Lady rooftop in Brooklyn.

July 26th: minikit’s fourth single of the year (and my lead vocal debut) ‘400 Coffees’ is released.

400 Coffees artwork, created by Katie Glasgow

Late July: launched devonsounds.com, a landing page for Devon O’Connor, a musician and music industry professional based in New York, NY.

August

~August 1st: launched jacksonhoffman.com, a personal portfolio for my friend Jack Hoffman, a producer/musician based in Queens, NY.

August 6th: turned 25 😳

August 13th: launched thebreathingeffect.com, a site for LA based jazz fusion band The Breathing Effect.

August 27th: Panther Hollow releases the single ‘Letter’.

September

September 5th: The Good Few plays Mercury Lounge.

September 19th: Thinx Inc. hires me full time as Junior Front-End Engineer.

September 21st-28th: traveled to Iceland with my parents.

October

All month: had various writing / recording sessions all of which were very productive and fun.

October 3rd: The Good Few releases their single ‘Know Love’ which I co-produced and played bass on.

October 4th: minikit releases a music video for ‘4am (Good for You)’

October 7th: Panther Hollow releases a partially animated music video for ‘Helen Yell’

October 30th: Saw my favorite band, The Japanese House, at Warsaw in Brooklyn, my second time seeing them this year. They were my artist of the decade on Spotify Wrapped.