We recently had the chance to connect with Dan Drnach and have shared our conversation below.
Dan, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
After a stressful year and a half my days usually start easy with a coffee and dog walk, work, dinner at home and a movie. It’s been pretty nice. I’ve been listening to a lot of new music. My kids introduce me to newer artists and we’ll talk about what we like and what we don’t.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Dan Drnach, I am an Award Winning musician, songwriter and performer in Orlando Florida. I currently have 99 songs available on various Streaming Platforms. I have written three fully produced stage shows for local production companies. I have two beautiful daughters who thankfully love music like me.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
I grew up outside of Pittsburgh in the 80’s so the concept of “Blue Collar” work is in my DNA. My father worked in the Steel Mills, my Grandfather worked in the mill. My teenage job was on a farm so back breaking, sweaty, hand hurting hard work is all I’ve known. I try very hard to preserve that in my music career and apply the “head down – g0 get it” mentality I was raised in. When I got my first professional job I was 19 and very green. The other musicians around really helped me weed out the egocentric ideas a young player would have. I was fortunate to be mentored by a dear friend Joey, a monster Sax Player. Joey introduced e to a wide variety of music and practice techniques I still use. In 2005 my performance career took a huge step forward when I learned how to play blues harmonica and joined a Blues Brothers Tribute Show. The harmonica community is still the most open and supportive group if worked with. While in this show I’ve gotten to work with musicians that have decades of work under their belts. All of them have shared stories and lessons with me. One in particular, Larry, arrived when I was beginning my sobriety journey which resulted in a songwriting boom around 2018. Larry joined me for a string of shows that we recorded and released. So having been raised learning the value of hard work and then sharing stages with accomplished musicians helped me carve out my current path.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
This might not be an answer to the literal question but I’m not afraid to abandon phases. What I mean by that is I could be in a multi-year stretch of playing blues harp in bands and tributes and when life shows me that a new project requires my attention I’ll roll into that project. So it’s not “giving up” more so transitioning from one focused project into another. I bring this up cause it is a pattern in my professional life. For me projects and work tend to exist in 3-5 year phases. I feel I am in flux right now which thankfully I’m not worried about. I’m trying to rest, celebrate and follow passion until the next project presents itself.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Probably closer to 75%/25%. I don’t think I’m unique in that way. I think we all put fractions of yourselves in charge depending on the environments. At home I can just be Husband/Father but at Work I’m literally a character, literally becoming someone else and when on stage with my songs an amplified version of my self takes over. I’ve spent so much time is these worlds I don’t recall have to flip and switches anymore. What’s nice is if a fraction of life is under performing one of the others does more heavy lifting.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Certainly what I was born to do. Music is the only thing that has been a constant in my life. I got horrible grades in every subject that wasn’t arts related. I grew up in a time when collage wasn’t super important and was able to get a job as a musician right out of high school. Since then almost every day I remind myself of those daydreams as a young kid playing air guitar.
Contact Info:
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNLGKyjJK-aiVXpOo55tybA
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/39oqlo2Zvt9FcMymzGXk2i
Image Credits
Ashleigh Ann Gardener, Tom Cook, Small Bee Photography
