Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Danni Lee Parpan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Danni Lee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

In May of 2021, after taking a few years off from making music to focus on building my creative production company, I decided it was time to start again. I had just written a handful of songs and I was planning on recording an album that fall when a pinched nerve in my neck sent me to the doctor for an MRI. My neck was fine, but they found an unrelated large mass on my thyroid. After a biopsy I learned that I had thyroid cancer and would need to get a thyroidectomy which would make it so I could not sing for 6 months to a year. I was crushed thinking about how I wouldn’t be able to sing or perform or worse the slim chance that something would happen during surgery that would permanently effect my vocal cords. Against the recommendation of my surgeon, I decided to push surgery off for a few months, let go of all of my clients, and focus solely on music. For the entire summer I said yes to everything that had to do with music, and no to everything and anything that didn’t. In that short span of time, I recorded and released an entire album, booked my dream venue for my album release, and met my now partner in both life and music, Caroline Shaw. It was a huge risk and one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. I’m happy to say that nearly three years later I am still cancer free and still saying yes to everything music.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Anytime I’m asked the “what do you do” question all I can see is one of those “there are two wolves inside of me…” memes! I am a musician first and for my health and sanity, it’s important to me that I identify by my art first. This may come as no surprise to you, dear reader, but making music is not how I make the majority of my money. I own my own business doing freelance production work for commercial photography and video shoots. I I got my start in this field by doing production design for fox NFL–totally random and one of those zero to one-hundred jobs where you have to really “fake it til you make it”! I was grossly underpaid, but learned A LOT. After freelancing as a production designer for film/tv and corporate events for a few years in LA, I moved to Portland where I continued this work, shifting more towards set design for commercial photoshoots and creative directing for an agency in town called, oh! Creative. When I met my partner and we started making music together, my life suddenly became bi-coastal as she was living in NY and we started touring 70% of the time for music. Basically overnight, I had to figure out how I was going to juggle living, laughing, loving and making money while not being physically in one geographical location and not being able to travel with my production kit of tools! Producing, seemed to be like the most natural progression, so basically overnight, I shifted everything from production design to producing and honestly it’s the second most best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I love producing. It comes really naturally to me and I’m able to produce shoots from wherever I am in the world. Life on the road has taught me how to quickly and efficiently problem solve and I use that skillset in my personal, creative, and work life. I’m most proud of how this shift has made it so I can make money while facilitating creative work for others and still have the time and freedom to make my own art with the love of my life. I’d love for you to listen to it — Ringdown Music :)

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

First, I want to say that I hate the title “non-creatives” because I think everyone in every career at times needs to tap into their creativity. Everyone is creative in some way! But I think folks in “traditional” corporate jobs, have a hard time understanding what it is that I Do. I do not falut them as I have a hard time saying what it is that I do! My creative practice is so multi-faceted and I don’t like limiting myself to one title. I’m not just a musician. I’m not just a producer. I’m not just a production designer. I’m a creative. I have the utmost honor of making a living being creative and facilitating creative practices for others. The part of this that’s hard for some folks to understand is how! Based on the job or client, my title is ever evolving. My role is always changing, but it’s exciting and offers me the freedom to make my own hours and schedule. I wouldn’t change it. Is it sometimes stressful? uh huh. Do I fantasize about what it would be like to work a typical 9-5 where I leave my work at work and know exactly what my paycheck will be every 2 weeks? TOTALLY! But then I remember that I get paid to figure out how to do things like how to get a grand piano on the beach on fire for art and it makes it all worth it!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Pay artists. At some point, there was a shift towards devaluing art and the time it takes to make it. It is wild to me that so many folks who are not in inherently artistic careers, come home at the end of their stressful days and without even realizing, turn to the arts to decompress and unwind. I’m not sure why there isn’t more value placed on the symbiotic relationship between creator and consumer. Art is the foundation of every highly functioning society and yet it is the first thing to be dismissed and devalued.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.danniparpan.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannileep/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danni-parpan/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeLff6VLwYRLJC_rzJCpFEA
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ringdownmusic

Image Credits

Karen Pride & Anja Schutz