Meet Amir Danaei

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amir Danaei. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amir, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

My path and goal became clear when I first watched a live performance by Joe Satriani and Jeff Beck. With confidence, I decided that I wanted to be like these two artists, creating music and performing it.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I lived in a small town in the south of Iran, where the resources available in the capital were inaccessible. For example, getting guitar accessories like picks or strings was very difficult, especially when I was practicing, and a string would break. Another challenge was learning, as there was no YouTube or the internet. I only had a DVD of a few famous guitarists, and I would watch it eagerly, filled with excitement to practice and improve. Learning was very challenging for me because, alongside studying, I had to travel to Shiraz—a six-hour journey from where I lived—on Thursdays, as the following day was a holiday, just to attend a one-hour guitar lesson. Sometimes, I would even travel to Tehran just for a one-hour session. I remember always listening to music during my travels and imagining myself in the artist’s place, which doubled my motivation. As time went on, my practice sessions became longer—sometimes up to 14 hours a day. By the time I turned 18, I had reached a level where I could cover and perform my favorite songs. Around that time, I also formed my band with people my age, and we organized many personal performances. After some time, when Facebook became popular, I shared many videos there, and they received a lot of attention. This helped me gain more recognition. A while later, Eric Clapton, one of the founders of the Crossroads Festival, organized an event aiming to introduce an unknown artist. Fortunately, during those years, despite the limited resources and challenges of living in a small town, I managed to create and upload several songs.
The festival was based on video views, and I scored a 90% rating. My photo was featured on their website for 24 hours, which was an incredible milestone for me and a record I was proud of. After this event, I received many offers from professional bands. As time went on, I focused on improving myself, striving to be better than my previous version and becoming the best version of myself. Currently, I’m working on a solo project that consists of an EP album with five tracks. However, I also release singles occasionally. This year, I’ve released three songs titled Night and Day, Driving After Midnight, and Our Room. In addition to creating music, I also work as a session player and have collaborated with prominent Iranian artists both inside and outside the country, such as Ebi ,Sirvan Khosravi, Mohsen Sharifian , Sogand , Masoud Kimiai and Ehsan Abdipour.
Alongside these activities, I also teach guitar. I aim to provide comprehensive lessons so that my students don’t face the same struggles I did while learning. I want them to learn with ease and confidence. I believe that the more skilled musicians we have, the stronger our music community will become.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One of my key traits is my hard work, and secondly, my commitment to maintaining discipline. I’ve always pushed myself in this journey to achieve better outcomes in my profession. This dedication has brought me to a point where this discipline has even influenced my lifestyle, shaping it positively.
and about advice, I believe that nowadays, people are overly distracted by their phones. For example, when watching a movie, talking to their friends, or doing anything else, their attention quickly shifts to their phones. This distraction prevents them from dedicating enough energy to their goals, which ultimately hinders their success. My request is for them to focus on their goals and take the value of time and moments seriously, so they can become the best version of themselves in their craft or skill.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did was when I was in elementary school and was a very energetic, adventurous, and mischievous boy. My mother decided to do something to help me calm down and pay more attention to myself. She enrolled me in a music class and bought me a traditional instrument. This helped me discover more about myself and gave me the opportunity to care more about myself.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Marjan_photography. Behrooz Sasani. Reza Bargahi

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of

Productivity
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Leadership Development
Finding Your Why

Not knowing why you are going wherever it is that you are going sounds silly,