FERNDALE, Mich. – Music can have an effect on many people, but for recording artists at a studio in Ferndale, it's therapeutic in a very special way.
A Metro Detroit rapper, named Tony, was in the studio listening to his latest recording called "The Wheelchair Anthem." It's a song he recorded at D-MAN music studio.
"I'm a quadriplegic," artist Anna Pannell said. "I got into an accident when I was 1 year old."
Pannell is a local DJ who goes by the stage name D.J. Milaika. For her and the other artists producing music at the studio, it's therapeutic.
"It helps me cope with my injury," Pannell said. "It makes me feel like I'm in a different world."
Everything in the recording studio is customized to make it handicap accessible.
"As far as the physical layout of it, extra wide hallways, extra wide doors, lots of stuff on wheels," D-MAN founder Ziad Kassab said. "Everything here is adjustable based on the type or the level or the height of the chair. The desk can go up and down so that the clients are able to use them."
Even the technology allows the artists to control the computer mouse and other devices with their mouths to create new music. A music therapist and audio engineer are also available to help.
"We've got some really amazing talent down here," Kassab said.
Kassab founded D-MAN with his brothers in 2013. It stands for Danny's Miracle Angel Network. Kassab lost his brother in 2009. Danny had been confined to a wheelchair after a car crash at a young age. He loved music, so his brothers wanted to help others in similar situations.
"Knowing him, he's probably say, 'Never give up. Keep going,'" Kassab said.
D-MAN expects to release "The Wheelchair Anthem" for download and streaming later this year.