Meet Danny Griffin

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Danny Griffin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Danny below.

Hi Danny, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I asked myself, “What brings meaning to my life?” What are the things that I do, the books that I read, and the things that I think that make me feel fulfilled. It is much more than a feeling. It is being near the people who can give richness to ideas, who can spur me to be something more than I am, I must also be able to bring a quality to their lives.

The discipline to choose to do things that are not only honorable, but allow me to grow as a person and prioritizing what I do and don’t do is vital to maintaining my purpose.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve played with various symphonies for years. Before coming to Knoxville I worked as a conductor for choral and instrumental music at the Surgut Philharmonic in Russia. I was the guest conductor at the Surgut conservatory of music and also had a 200 voice children’s choir.

Upon returning from Russia in 2015 I became a professor at Crown College in Powell, Tennessee until I retired in 2022.
After retirement I became the artistic director at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge. Recently I was hired to become the artistic director at Westgate Entertainment.

Westgate Entertainment is assisting several business launches. First: We are helping launch the Knoxville Sinfonietta which is a small professional chamber orchestra. We will specialize in playing music that larger orchestras usually don’t play. The first concert will take place at 5pm May 18 at the Central Baptist Church, Bearden in Knoxville.

We soon will be offering a scholarship program for advanced high school and college string students and vocalists to travel overseas to perform.

I will be doing a concert with Joanna Seiber, well known harpist, currently planned for February 16, 2025.

Although Westgate is a for profit company, the owner and I are forming a nonprofit wing of the corporation that will seek to benefit less fortunate musicians and help propel young people into various successful artistic careers.

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

Discipline. Without discipline it is impossible to succeed. Success rarely comes in giant leaps. It is a series of thousands of small events and success that lead to a rewarding life. My father told me many times, “Keep on keeping on!” Simply it means, take the next step no matter how you feel, no matter how discouraged you are, just take the next step. Two things defeat us: Discouragement with circumstances and disappointment in people. If you can overcome those two things, then your chances of success are much greater.

Love People: Life is about loving God and loving people. Loving God will make you love and respect people. Folks know if you care about them or not. All of us feel it when someone cares. If a person knows you love them, then they will travel with you long and far on nearly any road your journey may take you.

Vision and Purpose: These are not synonymous words but they are inseparable. Vision is the ability to see possibilities. Purpose is understanding how to put feet to the vision. You can’t have one without the other. I’ve seen many folks with great vision who were unable to bring their dreams to fruition because they didn’t have a purpose, the didn’t have discipline or they didn’t love people.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

I have enjoyed many excellent books. It is impossible to choose one book that would completely define a single turning point in my life, but since we are talking about leadership and influence I would have to say that “It’s Your Ship” by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff was game changer for me. Captain Abrashoff clearly illustrates a lifestyle of leadership that literally changes the course of many lives by empowering his crew by empowering them to make positive decisions for the benefit of the ship. He displays a fundamental understanding of people and how to bring the best out of them.

Here are some statements that propelled me into a different lifestyle by changing my view of people:

1. Create a climate of trust: Trust is like a bank account–you have got to keep making deposits if you want it to grow. On occasion, things will go wrong, and you will have to make a withdrawal. Meanwhile, it is sitting in the ban earning interest.
2. When the entire organization wins, every in it wins.
3. Freedom creates discipline. Give credit where credit is due
4. Communicate purpose and meaning: Make your crew think, “We can do anything.”

Captain Abrashoff created the most successful ships in the American fleet. His inspiration propelled me to create my own purpose statement:

My purpose:
To facilitate positive life change in myself, in my family, and in others.
I do this by first believing in God and trusting Him to help me to bring
hope and light to people.

If I know my purpose, then I know what how to respond to demands on my time.
I can determine what goals to make in order to fulfill my purpose.
I can say no with confidence. You must learn to say yes and no with a reason!!!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unakwick/profilecard/?igsh=MTBpMXpncXJsejhydg==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danny.griffin1/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE2SieA0KH4XdpVF6EvZ4XQ

Image Credits

I took all of these photos