Daniel Beck fell in love — the first time — in high school, not with a girl but with musical theater.
"I grew up knowing that I could carry a tune, but I didn't think music was cool until I got into high school. My older brother quit football to audition for 'Hello, Dolly,' and I thought he was crazy. But he got the lead, and he was fantastic. I saw that he was having a wonderful time, and that opened my mind to singing and acting. I thought, 'I want to do that."'
So the next year Beck auditioned for the school musical, "The Sound of Music." "I was Rolf, and I had a great time."
That led to some more serious study, lessons in both music and acting. "As I began to sing more and more, it was so exciting. I would sing to Broadway tapes in my car, 'Phantom of the Opera,' 'Les Miz.' I loved the way those songs told a story. I loved the way they captured the imagination and excitement of the story."
As Beck developed his range and expanded his repertoire, "It was an exciting time in my life. I went to Weber State on a musical scholarship, and it was quite a magical year. We did 'Pirates of Penzance' and were selected to go to California and then to perform at the Kennedy Center. It was so much fun, I thought, 'I could do this forever."'
But after returning from an LDS mission, Beck fell in love again, this time with a girl. "I wanted to get married. I wanted to have a family."
And while he enjoyed music theater, he didn't see it as a career. He finished an associate degree at Weber and then decided to go the information technology route.
He kept up acting when he could, appearing in such productions as "Oklahoma," "Carousel" and "The Scarlet Pimpernel." But now that he and his wife, Amy, have four children at home, finding the time for all the rehearsals and theater runs is getting difficult."
At this time in his life, he says, he's hoping to focus more on singing, and that has led to the release of his first solo CD.
Not surprising, the CD is full of love songs — not just romantic love, but all the kinds of love we experience: for sweethearts, for family, for friends and community, for music, for God. "Love makes us all better people," he says.
The CD will debut at a release concert Tuesday at Rose Wagner Center in Salt Lake City. The event will also be a benefit for The Road Home. Guests are asked to bring blankets, gloves, coats and hats that will be donated to the shelter; $1 of each CD sold between now and Christmas will also go to the cause.
The CD, titled "Love Like That," has been in the works for a while, and Beck credits his mentor, local singer/songwriter/producer Kenneth Cope, for bringing it to fruition.
"I met Kenneth in 2002, and we just clicked. I had listened to and adored his music for years, and he had been to some of my performances. So we met, and were gushing all over each other," Beck jokes.
Cope asked Beck to record some songs for the "Son of Man" project Cope was working on. Beck also began recording duets and songs on EFY and other albums and appeared on some Liken the Scriptures DVDs.
But when it came time to do a CD of his own, "I thought, 'What do I do?' Other than giving some amazing concerts in my car, I hadn't had a lot of experience. I lacked confidence and know-how, but Kenneth said, 'We can do this.' It took two years, because we wanted to do it right."
The album, "Love Like That," features five cover songs, including songs such as "Homeward Bound" and "The Impossible Dream."
And there are five songs written for the album — two written by Cope, two co-written by Nashville writer Jason Deere and one written by Tyler Castleton and Staci Peters. "That one fit the theme of the album so well, it became the title cut," says Beck.
"Dan is a great singer with a great voice," adds Cope. "He wanted this CD to have a wide reach. His ability is so great, I hope he gets an opportunity to reach out far and wide. He just wants to bring about some good. It will be exciting to see where he goes. His music is edifying."
The album focuses on the idea that "no matter what, regardless of faults and weaknesses, we all need love," says Beck. "I hope these songs will take people somewhere emotionally, that there might be a phrase that grabs them and helps them take a step in the right direction."
The songs are not religious, he says, "but I consider them spiritual. And I think there's something for everyone, regardless of where they live or what they believe."
Uplifting, full of hope, universal — love is like that.
If you go ...
What: Daniel Beck, Love Like That
Where: Rose Wagner Center, 138 W. 300 South
When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
How much: $15
Phone: 355-2787 or 1-888-451-2787
Web: www.arttix.org
Also: Guests are asked to bring blankets, gloves, coats, hats to donate to The Road Home shelter.
E-mail: carma@desnews.com