Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Dean.
My story, just like life itself, is of course nuanced – it is, and will always be a work in progress; an organic journey of never-ending development. I am a musician/songwriter, singer, public relations/creative director, self-proclaimed engaged citizen, and soon-to-be small enterprise and entrepreneurial development volunteer in Namibia. I interned with Duane Hobson & Sony Music Nashville, Aspire TV(which is UP TV now), and Blind Ambition management under Charles Driebe which manages some super dope musicians like The Blind Boys of Alabama, William Bell, etc. Im also a Recording Academy member. Mostly though, I’m just a relentlessly passionate dreamer that is obsessed with life in all aspects and how my little self somehow fits into it. Those are my professional roles and what I do, however, who we are as people is infinitely more important (and more interesting to me) so I like to navigate my life staying true to the bigger picture in life which keeps me busy and involved in different ways. At 28 and Atlanta-based, I’m one of four children raised by a Detroit mother and Cleveland father. Motown roots go deep haha. Graduated from Kennesaw State University. I was born and spent my childhood in San Diego, California and later moved to the metro Atlanta area in my teens when the Navy transferred myfather.
I am a proud Choctaw Freedmen descendant – a story of my ancestry I want to continue to tell regarding my African and Native roots and how the two are forever intertwined. I grew up with sounds of Motown, jazz, film soundtracks, and 90s hip hop playing around the house. I discovered the various genres of rock-and-roll as I got older and became fascinated learning how history influences all the different sounds and songs I came to love and feel close to on some spiritually connected level – including who created what, when and why etc. blah blah blah haha. This planted the seed in me to explore how history effects the present and how everything is connected – which led me to being driven to help serve my fellow humanity in any and every way that I possibly can regardless of the limits of a ‘role.’ I grew up loving artists like Jackie Wilson and Frankie Lymon while loving various film soundtracks like Prince of Egypt, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, The Nightmare Before Christmas but also enjoying various Indigenous and cultural musical pieces. My sound is inspired by elements of classic, black rocknroll and rhythm & blues pioneers, Motown, the 50’s, Rockabilly, Western, and various African and Indigenous cultural elements.
As time goes on, I will serve in various roles but the constant need to express myself musically will always remain and I don’t believe that we have to be limited in life to being or doing a singular thing. We are multidimensional in every way. Freedom is important to me.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I sometimes like to call my music motown rocknroll. Because its just the best that describes my sound but without oversimplifying it being centrally that, there’s so many other colors I like to paint with – you know what I mean? That is me the musician. Fiery, proud but unapologetically affectionate and free. I do community relations with American Sushi Recording Studio(owned by Jamie Lake) in little five points where I organize events alongside our team around causes like Silence the Shame founded by music executive and mental health advocate Shanti Das (Prince, Outkast, Usher), Political dialogues with community leaders like Sen. Vincent Fort and Athens-Clarke commissioner Mariah Parker, Vibe Night with local musicians and etc.
I just believe in involving yourself in human progress regardless of formalities. Just be engaged and the more common it becomes the more better off we all will be, together. I’m inspired by life, earth, space, history and love and all the colors in between – dark & light. These things keep me constantly working to empower freedom and wellness from within for everyone in whatever ways I can communicate, facilitate, advocate, express or participate in. That’s how I like to live. I hope I inspire others to spend time understanding and loving their organic, ever-evolving souls while respecting the sovereignty of others because it’s the key to their freedom – and that will revolve around our collective beautifully since we’re literally in this thing together. Spring 2019 ill be working as a small enterprise and entrepreneurial development volunteer in Nambia – so the journey continues and is always going to be nuanced. I feel like a soundtrack.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what quality do you feel is most helpful?
Hmm..success is such a complicated concept. For me, I would define success as the achievement of multidimensional gratefulness. Being able to achieve gratefulness of one’s state of existence and the path you’re journeying to is success. Beyond that though, I don’t think success is achieved unless I am actively engaged in helping aide the success of others – to whatever degree I can help. Success as an artist is executing expression without fear. I feel every artist has to have an element of fearlessness about them because if you’re dealing with art you’re dealing with truth – and to tell the truth you have to have courage and not be held back by fear.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can follow my journey through Instagram, instagram.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: instagram.com/michaeldeanwho
- Email: michaeltdean@yahoo.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldeanwho
- Twitter: twitter.com/michaeldeanwho
- Other: https://youtu.be/YflPY9NsUto
Image Credit:
Hannah Williams, Sam Heatherly, Ubong Umoren, Jamie Lake, Isadora Pennington, Satyam Kaswala
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
