The Amazing Dani Ivory … Vocalist, Pianist, Songwriter, Touring Musician

1. When and why did you start playing?  I began playing piano and singing sometime around the age of 5.  My mother is a musician and gave me my first piano/voice lesson.  She was also a piano teacher…so I was around music from an early age.

2. Which instruments do you play? I sing (Sennheiser is my go-to microphone) and play keyboards.  My favorite keyboard at the moment is the Korg Kronos Workstation.

3. What was the first tune(s) you learned?  It was something along the lines of “This Land is Your Land“…or a nursery rhyme;)

Dani Keeps it Classy!

4. Which famous musicians do you admire?  This is difficult question because I admire so many musicians and artists spanning many centuries!  I appreciate the works of Debussy, Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, and Rachmaninoff for their innovation, imagination, and compositional genius.  Within the last decade, a few of my admirations go to Michael Jackson, Teena Marie, Prince, The Beatles, Madonna, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Nirvana. Why?  These are all musicians that were ahead of their times and paved the way for the future of music.

5. What’s your favorite era of music?  I would say the 60’s.  So many wonderful songs were written during this era, and the instrumentation was organic.

6. Cake, Pie or Ice Cream? NONE!  I like steak over cake…but if I had to choose one I would say Ice Cream.

7. Favorite non Network Show?  Game of Thrones

8 Best undiscovered band?  DANiiVORY 😉

9. Describe your first instrument. Piano was my first instrument…there was one sitting in my living room in my parents house and it was just too big to ignore, plus nothing excites a child’s wonder more than pressing something and having a sound come out (at least for a young musician).  It was a baby grand “Howard” piano with mahogony case and bench.

10. Were you influenced by old records & tapes?  My mother listened to a lot of Maria Callas, Classical Music, and Frank Sinatra…that’s what I was fed as a child. Which ones?

11. Who are your favorite musicians? Groups? CD’s? See responses in #’s 4 & 10

Just Breathe … It’s not that serious!

12. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?  Since I have quite a bit of jazz gig experience where the performance is based on improvisation and ‘going with the flow” of open form within a structure, you just keep going…most of the time the mistake will go unnoticed from an audience member and can be turned into an intentional sounding recovery.

13. Do you get nervous before a performance or a competition? Not anymore!  I find it more nerve-racking to audition in front of a small panel of judges or to perform in a small intimate setting of close family and friends.

14. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?  Nerves will pass, breath, and realize this is all for fun…it’s really NOT THAT SERIOUS…you are totally equipped and able, so don’t think too much, just do it.

15. Do you read music? Yes, as a pianist, I learned to read at a young age.

16. How often and for how long do you practice?  I used to practice 8 hours a day while I was in college, but now I find it hard to get as much time…I end up gigging so much, I get a lot of practice.  On average, I sing and play anywhere between 2-5 hours a day.

17. What do you practice – exercises, new tunes, hard tunes, etc.?  I’ll learn new songs, practice technique, writing exercises.

18. How do you balance your music with other obligations – mate, children, job?  It certainly gets more difficult with responsibilities of an adult, but time management skills help.

19. Why do you like playing weddings?  It brings me joy to celebrate love in the best way I know how.

She’s fun … She’s Awesome … and We So Dig Her!

20. Describe the perfect wedding set list.  DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!

21. Favorite Venue for to play Live Music Entertainment? The Troubadour (They have a great sound system and engineer…plus it is a historic stage/venue)

22. Dream Gig? To perform my original music around the world!

23. Name:  DANiiVORY

24. Website:  www.daniivory.com

25. Training: Berklee College of Music

26. Favorite place for breakfast?  Vivian’s in Studio City

27. Favorite LA venue to hear Live Music Entertainment?  Bardot Monday night School Nights

28. Why do you enjoy being a part of The Replicas Music Family? They are an enthusiastic, warm, talented, and skillful group of professionals.  I like being around that energy.

call us at: 323.691.3883 / 908.420.5607

to hear more about Dani Ivory

Photos of Dani and The Replicas Music by Paul Rumohr