Doug Furia's musical talent emerged early, surrounded by toy pianos, wooden guitars, tin drums, and plastic trumpets every Christmas morning.  As a teenager, Doug took piano lessons for a few years but soon discovered that he truly preferred the freedom of playing by ear rather than the constraints of reading traditional music. His parents invested in a blonde Baldwin Spinet piano conveniently located in the laundry room and a Lowrey Organ adorned the living room ready to impress visitors with an array of colorfully illuminated toggle switchs - the favorite, a captivating Bossa Nova preset.

In high school, Doug joined the marching band, playing drums and xylophone. Only bandmates and close friends know the funny story of Doug falling while marching in Pueblo, Colorado for the State Fair Parade, strapped to a xylophone on a hard rubber wheel that got stuck in a pothole. Doug's dad, a carpenter, had only a hard rubber tire in the garage for this custom setup. Thankfully, social media wasn't around to make the incident go viral, but there were many witnesses.

After college and starting his first real job, Doug embraced music with new technology such as electric keyboards and MIDI orchestrations on floppy discs. He liked Roland's 88 key workstations because they mimicked the sound and feel of an acoustic piano by sampling grand piano sounds. After graduating and getting married, Doug bought a house from a retired music director, featuring a black satin Steinway grand piano in the living room on white carpet, creating a perfect music atmosphere. He soon wanted another piano — a traditional 88-key upright. He found a 1908 Stark Upright at an estate sale, which had been nicely refinished but had a cracked soundboard. It satisfied him for a while, but he yearned for a better piano. Doug frequently visited piano stores in Denver, enjoying the experience like a kid in a candy store.

Doug's dream of owning a grand piano was put on hold for years while building his career and managing married life. As music faded into the background, he felt lost. His career thrived, but his marriage suffered, leading to a painful divorce that left him isolated and surrounded by silence. Adjusting to this solitary life was hard, but it allowed him to reassess and improve upon a life filled with sadness, anxiety, and health issues. During this period, Doug turned back to music, and music came back to him.

Doug's involvement in a disappointing Christian band was just a temporary fix, allowing him to gather eager band members for a new project focused on original music. Weekly meetings at Doug’s house transformed the living room into a lively space filled with instruments, cables, and a Yamaha drum set. The visiting musicians, who named it “Studio D,” caused neighbors to react with either irritation or enthusiasm to their growing collection of original songs. As Doug sought better equipment, he became friendly with Rob, the manager at Guitar Center, who offered him discounts. These purchases laid the groundwork for Doug's music studio startup, Studio D. Music LLC. Mailing warranty cards led to lots of junk mail, including a SACD sampler of some Elton John hits. Lacking knowledge about SACD technology, Doug played it in his CD player but heard nothing different from his existing collection, and the sampler was eventually forgotten in a closet.

A group of 4 became a tighter team of 3 and moved ahead as 10PM. The name came from their late-night rehearsals, barbecuing steaks, and drinking tequila, which inspired their creativity as they worked into the midnight hour, especially starting at 10PM.

Doug recorded original music on an 8-Track and iomega media. He documented this journey in Studio D, which had expanded beyond the living room. The remodeled area was perfect for the new studio, and even the blueprints labeled it as “STUDIO.” As the number of original songs reached nearly 20, Doug, Michael Worthington, and Leo Ferras considered sharing their music at local coffee shops and small venues in the Denver area. The group performed at coffee shops, corporate events, private parties, and art festivals for two summers until Leo left. Mike and Doug continued as the main songwriting team of 10PM, publishing and performing original music around Denver while promoting it on MySpace. Remember that?

In 2008, while performing at the Golden Fine Arts Festival, Doug and Mike were invited to play at Stout Street Foundation for a small gig of 3 to 5 songs for residents and staff. They received a standing ovation, which led to more performances for Stout Street, an organization that supports addiction recovery in a structured community. This connection allowed 10PM to perform at various venues, including the Westin Hotel, Inverness Hotel, Arrowhead Golf Course, and even in the Stout Street parking lot during family visits. They also played at the Oriental Theater and were featured in Colorado Music Buzz Magazine that May. Additionally, 10PM secured a Live at Lunch segment on KRFC 88.9 FM in Fort Collins. The KRFC radio host, Cindy, was an admitted fan of 10PM and passed the audio to her friend Gus.   2 weeks after the radio spot, Doug received a call from Cindy to make contact with her friend Gus in Boulder.  During that initial conversation, Gus conveyed that he liked the music and recognized Doug's 80s piano style with influences from Elton John and Billy Joel.  Doug was thrilled and made the trek to the Boulder Business Park which had a 4-plex of companies dedicated to high-end music production.  The entities included a media duplication business, Airshow Mastering, Immersive Studios, and Gus’ business, Super Audio Center.  Doug entered the facility and greeted Gus who led him through a maze of music equipment, computer servers, and a room of master tapes.  In the corner of a room near the lobby, Doug noticed a large stack of packaged CDs.  A closer look at the cover brought him back approximately 4 years when the same CD ended up on Doug’s doorstep – the Elton John SACD sampler!  What the heck?  Gus laughed and said that the pile of SACDs was extra inventory from Sony after the samplers were mailed.  Sure as God made little green apples, Doug had met the very man, the Sony Engineer, who made the sampler that arrived on his doorstep 4 years prior to their newly formed acquaintance.  Doug came to know Gus Skinas, the Sony Engineer and pioneer of Direct Stream Digital (DSD), Super Audio CD Technology (SACD), and a respected sound engineer and audiophile in the music industry still today.  Gus engineered DSD and SACD authoring in digital form working with masters in the industry such as:  Pink Floyd, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, and Nat King Cole in his early career.  Holey moley, what an audio jackpot!  As Doug researched the history of DSD and SACD, he learned that these high resolution formats were better than BlueRay and DVD Audio, but were never fully accepted in the marketplace just as Beta lost to VHS.  Nonetheless, after leaving Sony, Gus carried the torch continuing with SACD technology now in the music underground, and he continues to share his knowledge with music lovers who cross his path.

Doug improved his recordings and gained more clients, so he brought audio WAV files to Gus for listening sessions at Super Audio Center. Gus shared his favorite music, giving Doug a chance to hear rare Elton John out-takes and individual audio tracks from "Candle In The Wind." Doug visits Gus at least once a year during the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver every fall. Gus is typically in the Sony Room showcasing the latest DSD remasters on Sony’s best sound systems, a delight for audiophiles.

As Studio D gained more clients, Doug connected with Dr. Scott, a vocal coach from the music industry and Juilliard graduate. Dr. Scott has coached artists like Randy Travis, Heart, and Natalie Cole. Doug frequently visited Dr. Scott to discuss music and, with his permission, attended vocal sessions, gaining new friends and recording clients. Doug shared his best recordings with Dr. Scott, who began promoting Studio D to talented young singer-songwriters in Denver. Doug treasured the moment Dr. Scott complimented him, saying, “Doug, you record the human voice with the heart in which I teach it to sing.” This moment confirmed Doug's purpose in music creation for himself and others needing an affordable studio.

Over the years, the group of friends and clients at Studio D has expanded. Doug is continually impressed by the talented people who come to his studio. Many have shared that their experiences exceeded their expectations. There is a positive energy at Studio D that enhances everyone’s creativity.

As a member of the Colorado Audio Society, Doug has made friends who share his love for audio. He enjoys sharing his story with new listeners. Doug now has a growing collection of high-definition music, much of it produced by Gus. The world is finally recognizing something he did at Sony in the early 90s.

Fifteen years after they first met, Doug and Mike Worthington are still close friends who write, record, and perform original music. Although they have followed their own paths, they both cherish the joy of making great songs and the energy it creates. They appreciate 10PM, Studio D, and all the ups and downs life has offered them. Ultimately, it’s about the journey, not just the destination.

A final update: Doug now has his dream grand piano, the Yamaha C7. It's been a source of joy for him, his studio clients, and friends. On the wall above the piano, a framed sign reads "In Everything Give Thanks," a reminder that music is a gift. Doug believes music connects him to his soul, and playing the piano brings him peace. “In Everything Give Thanks"

Thank you Heather Longway for the amazing photograph of me in Studio D. and Shane Palmer for the colorful photograph of the piano.