We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Denny Kidd a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Denny , so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
I prefer to be the “only one in the room who looks like me.” Whether that image is taken positively or even negatively. It’s beneficial for a person to “beat to their own drum”… be unique, stand out… be remembered. This is an effective promotional strategy utilized in my line of work (music). Physical image of a person, physical image of the product and then the product itself. Stand out.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I play “Brady” in the 2022 theatrical film ‘A Night of the Undead.’ It’s currently available in stores such as Walmart, Fye (etc.) and was recently released (in 2023) to major streaming platforms (Vudu, Prime, Tubi etc). It is what people would consider a “B-movie” and is a modern sequel to George A. Romero’s cult classic film: A Night of the Living Dead.
I am a touring musician, session musician (a “hired gun”) and solo artist. On March 06, 2023 – my solo album was released. It is a blend of Hard Rock/Rap Metal. I wrote and performed every instrument. For live shows, I hired other performers and taught them the parts.
The musician’s from my solo project and I have formed a band called ‘Sleeping In Silence.’ Around once a week, you can typically find me performing live somewhere.
I operate a recording studio known as ‘The Kidd Kave.’ I also do all the studio engineering work for my stuff (mixing, mastering etc). Kidd Kave Music is a label I started to further expand distribution and I have recently started utilizing my brand as a booking company to assist bands with opportunity and to give fans and / or supporters of music and enjoyable show/concert not far away from their home.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Stubbornness.
For me, my stubbornness allowed me to make mistakes and even caused me to fail. I fail at things everyday. But – this also gave me my greatest accomplishments and gave me the mindset to never give up. When I fail at something.
But, If someone is new on their journey – my advice is to listen to ‘yourself’ first. It’s great to listen to other people especially if they are being truthful. Opinions matter but not the opinion of just 1 person. Your opinion matters the most. It’s your goal, it’s your love….it’s your mission.
Learn from failures. Nothing perfect was ever created without failing first. Adjustments are made to create improvements after failure. We learn from what we do.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking for collaboration. Whether you’re a musician, a model, a dancer or just a social media influencer. You can find me on Instagram (thekiddkave).
Email: dennykidd@gmail.com
https://www.dennykidd.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dennykidd.com
- Instagram: thekiddkave
- Twitter: thekiddkave
- Youtube: thekiddkave
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/denny-kidd/1579040186
