We recently had the chance to connect with Dana Rice and have shared our conversation below.
Dana, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Something outside of my work that is bringing me joy lately is my new found hobby of gardening. I’ve never been an outdoors type so it’s very surprising to me that I have gotten into this. There’s a calming effect to caring for plants and watching them grow.
I’ve also been growing herbs, fruits and vegetables! I laugh at myself for the way I get so excited to see the tiniest harvest.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a creative producer specializing in arts education that takes the learner from private lesson to dreaming and achieving Big Dreams. Through Dana Rice Music’s FAME Studio I train young people locally and globally in the arts. In addition to working with students, I also facilitate trainings for adults who want to become more effective in their work with children. The studio’s signature program is the Big Dreams Concert and Workshop Experience that began in Atlanta and has now expanded with students across multiple states and 4 countries.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful was when I was 9 years old and spoke at a convention where over 2,000 people were in attendance. I performed a monologue by Sojourner Truth, “Ain’t I A Woman?”. The truth is, I didn’t understand what a big deal it was until afterwards when people surrounded me immediately afterwards wanting to get a picture of me and talk to me. I was completely shocked- and intrigued. I thought to myself, “What just happened here?” I’m still finding out the answer to that question everyday.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
Whenever I was sad or scared as a child, it always helped to have an adult who wasn’t as close to the situation listen. Most of the time, that would be my Grandmother. Sometimes it was a teacher or church member. These early interactions with adults helped build my confidence and sense of self worth.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
A belief that I used to hold tightly to but now think was naive or wrong is that if I followed all the rules and did everything the “right” way then everything would line up eventually. Now having lived a half century, I see things much differently. The first thing is that it is important to question the rules. Who made them and what was or is the motive behind the rules? Who benefits the most when certain rules are followed? An equally important question is this, “What makes this way or that way the ‘right’ way? Too often, the definition of what is right is subjective.
I’ve seen people behave badly and rise to the highest levels of leadership. I’ve also seen people follow all the rules, cross all their t’s and still come up short due to unfortunate circumstances. I’m not saying we should abandon all the rules or the tried and true ways of doing things. However, we must ask the necessary questions in order to arrive at the appropriate conclusions.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I am gone, I hope the story people tell about me is really about them. My goal here is to get people to dream big dreams and be about the business of making those big dreams reality. I hope people talk about all the things they felt like they could do after spending time with me, working with me, or reading books I’ve written or music and other resources I’ve created. When I am gone, I want people to be busy sharing stories of how they were inspired to accomplish big things and I’m hoping that maybe – just maybe I’ll be part of the story.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.DanaRiceMusic.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/DanaRiceMusic
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/DanaRiceMusic
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/@DanaRiceMusic
Image Credits
Photo Credits: Soft Hues Photography
