DiaDan Holdings Ltd.

Higher Elevation Studio is a multi-media production facility located in Nova Scotia. It was built with precision and care and offers a fully functional space for audio recording, video production, and post-production work. Every room was designed with intention, combining function with atmosphere to support a wide range of creative needs. The project began under the guidance of Kevin Hughes of Design Technik in Texas and James Salter from California. Both had previously worked in Los Angeles with Eileen Richardson of DiaDan Holdings Ltd. Richardson introduced Hughes and Salter to Royce Harris, who became instrumental in bringing the studio to life. Construction started in 2020, during a time when most industries were facing setbacks. Despite the global challenges, Richardson and Harris moved forward. Supply shortages and construction delays slowed the timeline, but progress continued steadily.  Local tradespeople contributed their skill and commitment throughout the build. Their ...

Higher Elevation Studio is the culmination of Royce Harris’s vision for ministry. A former recording artist himself, he founded Daybreak Prison Ministry over thirty years ago. He dreamed of being able to broadcast interviews and music into the prison system. His wife has been active in this arena for many years, producing an album partially written by female inmates and launched inside the women’s prison responsible for the songwriting, a first in Canada and possibly in the entire prison ministry world.  Early in 2024, James Salter, Eileen Richardson (DiaDan Holdings), and Scotty Wilbanks put their heads together and came up with an idea to help put Higher Elevation Studio on the map. Wilbanks put together several dozen questions for Royce to put to both inmates and former inmates. The idea was to get ten to fifteen-minute audio or video interviews and then take the answers to the questions and write them as songs. The trio spent a lot of time collaborating, ironing out all of the ...

Music venues usually sit at the heart of local culture, giving artists places to showcase their talent and giving everyone a place to come together for live music. For many communities, music venues become cultural symbols, helping to shape city and neighbourhood identities.  At DiaDan Holdings , we recognize that these spaces are vital for supporting artists in local communities. They create connections for emerging talent and enrich the cultural lives of local citizens. A large part of the cultural identity of any community, big or small, stems from the kinds of acts and artists playing at the local theatre. The entertainment on offer ideally mirrors the diversity of tastes and cultures that contribute to making the community what it is.  Concerts also bring in tourists, giving a huge boost to the local economy. Music venues contribute to job creation while building a common sense of community pride. Live music has a way of uniting people, crossing boundaries and generationa...

At DiaDan Holdings, we are constantly searching for new opportunities that align with changes in the market and society. A big trend in entertainment now is the focus on sustainability. More companies and people are taking measures to protect the environment, and the entertainment industry is a leader in moving toward greener practices. This creates many investment opportunities for private equity firms like ours. Sustainability in Film and Music Production The entertainment industry affects the environment in several specific ways. Film production consumes a large amount of energy, while live concerts have high carbon emissions. There is considerable room for change and improvement. More creators and production companies are responding to this challenge by using sustainable methods that cut waste, consume less energy, and reduce carbon emissions. In film, sustainable production means using fewer disposable items, saving energy while filming, and balancing emissions with environmental ...

Four years ago, in December 2015, Jordan Smith won season nine of NBC-TV’s popular vocal competition “The Voice.” The Harlan, Kentucky native and Lee University graduate would become the show's biggest-selling singer, selling more than 1.5 million singles and placing eight songs into the Top 10 on iTunes' singles chart, three of which went to number one. When you enjoy that kind of success on such a highly viewed television show, lots of wonderful career opportunities often come you way. In Smith’s case, one of those opportunities brought him to the Evergreen Stage in Burbank, where he taped his first hour-long Christmas program, the 2016 PBS special “Jordan Smith: ‘Tis the Season,” which aired on KET-TV in Kentucky. The show, which presented a concert of holiday music from Smith's 2016 Christmas album of the same name, brought together the talents of a number of top musicians and industry luminaries. It seemed almost a given that Smith would record a holiday a...

If you’ve listened to records, CDs or streaming media, or watched movies or television over the past four decades, you’re well-acquainted with the work of David Foster, the legendary Grammy® -winning composer, songwriter and music producer who’s worked with everyone from Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion and Chicago to the late Whitney Houston. Four years ago, the highly regarded Foster added a new name to his roster of recording artists: Jordan Smith. Following Smith’s run during the ninth season of NBC-TV’s popular vocal competition “The Voice,” which culminated in winning that season’s competition, Foster produced “ Something Beautiful ,” the Harlan Kentucky natives debut album. Not long after that, he also produced “Jordan Smith: ‘Tis the Season,” Smith’s second album, which featured mostly traditional holiday songs. Then came the kicker: Foster played piano as a special guest during the taping of Smith’s first television special since “The Voice,” a holiday-themed PBS specia...