rhymes with rhododendron

Q: "Why did you choose Coo Dat as the name of your act? Do you think you're really cool? Why not just use your name?"

AH: We're SO cool... (third album, track two). Actually, I wanted to use my name, but people have a hard time pronouncing, much less spelling it. (This website is generally visited by those who already know me or scan a QR code). In my struggle to find something easier for listeners to identify, the first release was delayed for almost a year! Twice, I chose something and spent weeks developing a graphic design, only to find that someone else had taken it by then. I finally went with Coo Dat because it was available and I like how the two words stack neatly into a cube. It's a sort of affirming phrase I had been using with friends, informed by the familiar expression "true that."

Q: "Sometimes you sing in a mock British accent. What's up with that?"

AH: I had a voice instructor who taught that British pronunciation was ideal for singing, as it opens the vowels. (African American accents often do the same thing, dropping the final consonant). Moreover, I am heavily influenced by British music and some songs just sound better to me in that style. (My apologies to the originators, if I get it wrong.)

Q: "Sounds like you mostly use Garageband loops. Do you even play a a real instrument?"

AH: I'd be surprised if anyone relies more heavily on GB material more than myself. That said, I do play guitar on a few tracks and create all the arrangements.

Q: "You were once a Seventh-day Adventist minister. Aren't they against rock music?"

AH: Music is a powerful gift from God. Believing that certain forms belong to the devil is to surrender uncontested ground and trick people into thinking they must "sell their soul" to enter that arena. I don't want to write anybody off or leave certain audiences without a witness. I'm not just preaching to the choir.