Rising Music Star Dina Preston Of Dina Preston Band On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry

Understand that this is the music BUSINESS, this is one of the hardest lessons that we as musicians need to learn. In the music industry, it’s not just about the music — it’s also about being informed and aware, especially in today’s tech-driven world. Early in our career, we faced a significant financial setback that taught us a hard lesson. Determined to prevent it from happening again, I went back to school and earned my MBA and DBA. That experience not only made me smarter about the business side of music but also helped me navigate the industry more creatively. Knowledge is power.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dina Preston.

The Dina Preston Band, based in Phoenix, Arizona has been bringing their unique blend of high-energy Americana, old-school rock, and new-school country to audiences worldwide for years. From their early days in Southern California, they quickly rose to prominence, becoming a top act for U.S. Department of Defense Armed Forces Entertainment shows and cultural diplomacy tours. Their dedication has earned them prestigious accolades, including the United Nations Protection Force U.S. Joint Task Force Distinguished Service recognition and a place on a USO monument at Verde Valley Military Service Park.

As global musical ambassadors, the Dina Preston Band has performed in 44 countries, headlining shows across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. Their performances have showcased American music’s power to bridge cultural gaps, earning them recognition from the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassies. Through these tours, they built a worldwide fanbase and gathered a kaleidoscope of experiences that continue to shape their music.

Their latest album, We’ve Been Everywhere, produced by Grammy® Award-winning producer Rudy Perez, captures the spirit of their travels and original sound. The album’s singles, Give My Broken Heart a Break and Hard Working Man, made waves on Apple’s Country Music Charts, landing at #98 and #47, respectively. These achievements have marked new milestones in their career, showcasing the band’s ability to craft songs that resonate with fans both at home and abroad.

With a reputation for high energy live performances, the Dina Preston Band mission is clear: to share their music with new audiences. With their passion, storytelling, and powerful sound, the Dina Preston Band continues to leave a lasting impact wherever they perform.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where my parents, both teachers, fostered a deep love for music. Arizona, known for its vibrant country and rock music scene was also home to icons like Glenn Cambell and Linda Ronstadt. Like Ronstadt, I was exposed to both the big voices of Mariachi music and American storytelling of country music at a young age, thanks to the diverse influences in my home. At 17, I moved to San Francisco, where my musical journey began to take shape busking between college classes in front of Ripley’s Believe It or Not on Fisherman’s Wharf.

After a few years in the city by the bay, I turned my wheels south on Highway One toward the sunny shores in San Diego. My band found success there and caught the attention of a national music agent from Minnesota — soon, we were on the road.

Don Ortiz, my husband and music partner is originally from Newark, Delaware. I met Don when my band lost our guitarist and steel player. Within a short time, our musical chemistry quickly developed, and we decided to form our own band. Today, our band has performed in 44 countries and completed 27 international tours.

What inspired you to pursue a career in music, and how did your journey begin?

Artists aren’t always inspired, they often create because they have to — it’s a deep internal drive, a constant calling. We cannot point to one inspiration. I started singing at five and Don was already playing guitar at 6. It seems we were born with the desire.

My brother often jokes that I “ran away with a musician” when I left home at 18. In reality, I left Phoenix for San Francisco to attend college, play music, and seek adventure.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

We have so many it is hard to choose — but one that comes to mind is accidentally being sent to Afghanistan during Desert Storm II to perform for our troops on New Year’s Day.

During a military tour in Desert Storm II, we landed at the old TWA airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, to shouts of “MOVE, MOVE, MOVE” as troops, supplies and the band were unloaded off the C-130. No one was expecting us. Without a military escort — required for civilians — we quickly realized we were dropped into a war zone by mistake with no support or resources.

With no way out, we broke down the situation into parts. With the help of the military we were able to secure an escort, find resources, and plan performances quickly.

From there, we performed touch-and-go shows across Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. By breaking the situation down into manageable parts, we stayed focused on solving one problem at a time and adapting quickly. With luck and some elbow grease we were able to turn chaos into a successful mission to bring music from home.

It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I’ll never forget the time the band arrived at a casino gig only to realize we had somehow missed packing Don’s guitar! With no time to spare, we had to start anyway — with just a bass, a drummer, and me on vocals. Don rushed back home to grab his guitar. When he finally returned for the next set, the bartender looked up from the stage pit and said, “I thought something was different!” It was a chaotic yet hilarious moment that taught us the importance of always double-checking everything before a show. We definitely have had our share of mistakes and learning experiences.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

So, this is a hard question-because there are so many people who have helped us along the way. We are super excited about our recent success and the support we received for our album We’ve Been Everywhere- from Producer Rudy Perez and his team. His guidance and expertise truly helped to bring out our sound and reach a new level.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

We are getting ready to drop a new single this summer after celebrating our recent placement on Apple Music Country Charts.

I’m also working with Kendall-Hunt publishing on a book called The New Marketing Blueprint- Classic Foundations, Modern Tools. I’m using our recent tour to Tunisia as a case study to teach how to merge traditional marketing foundations with today’s technology tools.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

We’ve come to truly understand the power of diversity through performing and touring in so many countries. Diversity reflects the beauty of our interconnected global society. Our differences enrich the art we create. It helps us connect through shared human experiences.

Our song, “When the World Calls Your Name” is a good example of the power of diversity. To connect with our Tunisian audience, we included a version with voices and participation from a student music club called Tunisia88. They not only brought authentic voices and language to the song but added local instrumentation. This enriched the music and help to deepen our connection with the audience. During one concert, when the production was cut out due to rain, the audience kept the music alive by singing the song a cappella with me. It was truly a magical moment.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?

1. Understand that this is the music BUSINESS, this is one of the hardest lessons that we as musicians need to learn.

In the music industry, it’s not just about the music — it’s also about being informed and aware, especially in today’s tech-driven world. Early in our career, we faced a significant financial setback that taught us a hard lesson. Determined to prevent it from happening again, I went back to school and earned my MBA and DBA. That experience not only made me smarter about the business side of music but also helped me navigate the industry more creatively. Knowledge is power.

2. Don’t be afraid of the struggle, embrace challenges as an opportunity to grow, bring change and new opportunities

After our first Armed Forces tour, we were accidentally sent to Singapore without visas instead of back to Los Angeles. With no clear plan, we quickly figured it out by breaking down the situation, securing the necessary documentation, and adapting to the unexpected challenge.

We continued touring with the program for 15 years, performing at military bases in places like Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with our final shows in Guantanamo Bay and South Korea. These experiences opened doors to working with the U.S. State Department and Fortune 500 companies.

Looking back, we recognize the challenges turned into opportunities would not have happen without the unexpected detour to Singapore. These challenges brought us to places with our music that we never imagined.

3. Develop cooperative relationships in the band to improve your music and create value for the fans

Relationships are the foundation of success both on and off stage. On stage that means we all need to synch musically to give a solid performance. Our job is to create a memorable experience for our fans regardless of how we may be feeling.

It reminds me of an incident in Fiji: The stage lights blazed as our opening number filled the smoky air of a downtown Fijian nightclub. Suddenly, our bass player tore off his bass and bolted offstage — something was seriously wrong. Moments later, the unsettling sounds of him being violently sick echoed from the tiny bathroom stage right, loud enough for the audience to hear. Playing his guitar, Don shot me a look that said it all: “I told him not to eat the white sauce.” With our bass player out for the remainder of the show, we had to think fast. The drummer, Don, and I pulled together, signaling the soundman to boost the bass and kick drum. Somehow, we made it through the show — without missing a beat. Afterward, we rushed to the hospital, relieved to find our bass player recovering from food poisoning. To this day, the band laughs about that chaotic night in Nandi and the lesson learned: never trust the white sauce, Hehe. More importantly, it proved that no matter the crisis, we had each other’s backs.

Off stage, we need to learn to navigate differences in music skills, personalities, backgrounds, and external challenges. Making the most of these relationships through shared experiences helps support unity, ensuring we bring nothing but joy to the stage.

4. Trust and pay attention to your instincts- you can’t always see what lies ahead

My early days as a street performer taught me resilience and the importance of trusting my instincts. Busking at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Fran was both an art and business, requiring strategy and courage. Once, I ignored my gut feeling to call it quits for the day and stayed on the wharf longer than I should have. As a result, I was robbed of my earnings and most of my rent money. This experience taught me the importance of paying attention to my intuition to stay focused on my path.

5. Aligning your internal compass to talent, creates a path of clarity by aligning purpose to talent and supporting outcomes through perseverance.

In our early years on the road, Don would often listen to Frank Zappa and Stevie Ray Vaughn — musicians whose styles were far removed from the country music we played at night in the clubs. This drove some of our country musicians crazy, but whether they liked it or not, Don was pushing all of us to stretch our musical boundaries.

While we still love playing traditional country songs, our style has evolved into a country-rock Americana fusion that has taken us around the world.

Can you share some insights into your creative process? How do you approach songwriting? How do you approach musical collaborations?

Our creativity is a mix that is both organic and structured. Writing happens everywhere — from the road to the studio and even in the quiet moments before a show. Traveling to different countries and experiencing diverse cultures has deeply influenced our songwriting, which shapes our sound. It’s the central theme of our recently release album “We’ve Been Everywhere” which is about our musical journey- up until now.

We love to collaborate and our approached varies depending on who we are working with. Today’s technology allows us to collaborate in a way we could not imagine when we started in the music business. It is important for us to recognize and build on each writer’s and musician’s talents. Collectively this builds motivation to create original music that we hope will appeal to a wide audience.

Your music has resonated with so many fans worldwide. What do you believe sets your music apart?

We hope our story inspires people to follow their dreams, embrace adventure, cherish their loved ones, and never give up. We believe our music can serve as a soundtrack for those moments of faith, courage, and discovery.

Our extensive tours in 44 countries brings a universal perspective to country-rock, Americana genre which seems to have a worldwide appeal.

How do you connect with your audience?

After years of performing around the world we still consider it an honor to perform live. We have learned to fine tune our performances based on the music needs of our audience, whether it’s been on a U.S. festival stage, or at historic venues like Port de France in Tunis, Tunisia,

With your busy schedule and demanding performances, how do you prioritize self-care and maintain a balance between your personal life and career in the music industry?

To tour like we do- it’s essential that we take care of ourselves by eating right, exercise, prioritize family, and stay connected to our faith no matter where we are in the world.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

We believe in the power of the collective and grassroots movement toward solidarity — the idea that everyone has a responsibility to contribute to society, working together for the common good, especially for those in need. We actively work to give back and live out our faith through action. We regularly work or give to non-profits like Andre House.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :)

Brandi Carlile: besides loving her work of folk, country and rock- her influence has shaped the modern Americana and country scene. Her collaborations with artists spans so many ages and genres that speaks to our experience. We would love to know more about her musical journey and how she creates the music that inspires us.

How can our readers continue to follow your work online?

• Yes, our EPK: https://dinaprestonband.com/epk/
• On Amazon Music or reader’s favorite platforms
• Renaissance Records US
• Keep an eye out for our summer release

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Thank you and we appreciate your support. It was an honor and pleasure to speak with you!