Dani Fiondella is a recording artist, music producer, sync agent, music supervisor, screenwriter, short film producer and director. She attended Berklee College of Music as a vocalist and later attended Berklee’s certificate program to earn a certificate specializing in Music Law and Business. She is now enrolled in Berklee’s Music Business Masters program. She also earned a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting at Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture arts where she gained experience on numerous short film sets. After completing graduate school, she headed to the west coast where she executive produced and directed a short film that she wrote in the heart of L.A.
Dani has been a recording artist for over a decade and has been releasing new music this year. Along with releasing her own music, Dani is a music supervisor and sync agent. She released her first EP at the age of 13 and has performed at notable venues in the Atlanta area including Eddie’s Attic and Smith’s Olde Bar. Dani co-produces her music and manages herself through her company, Vintage-T Music LLC.
Dani Fiondella has won film festival awards for her short films including Best Sound and Director’s Choice University Film for her short film, re-Dickulous (2017), thirteen official selections and two awards including Best Student Short for Viola (2019), which she co-wrote, and a nomination for the Randall Greenland Award: Screenwriter of the Year for her original pilot.
With over a decade in the music industry and years of hands on training in screenwriting, film production and development, Dani’s experience in the music and film and television industries are the lens of Vintage-T Music.
“No Matter The Scope, We Have The Music To Help Bring Your Vision To Life”
Tell us about Vintage-T Music, what makes it so unique?
Vintage-T is a community-based company. We want our artists and creatives to know that their passion matters. Second, Vintage-T is a one-stop shop which means we represent both the compositions and master recordings of the tracks for our artists for synchronization licensing. This makes obtaining synchronization licenses a directed “one-stop shop” for our clients where they can obtain all needed licenses for their film, advertisement or another form of content. Whether we work with marketing agencies on commercials or independent filmmakers, we help find music to fit their needs. As a music supervisor, I hunt for music across platforms to fit the films I work on. As a company, Vintage-T helps indie artists find opportunities in synchronization licensing to show their talents on the screen.
What motivated you to start Vintage-T Music?
Creating an entertainment company wasn’t the original plan. I knew as a creative, I had to protect my copyrights and find revenue opportunities. I was exploring publishing and synchronization licensing for my own work as a recording artist. As things came together, I found a personal power in building my company. It expanded and through the suggestion of a professor at Berklee from my time in my certificate program, I created the larger umbrella of the entertainment company. I had so many ideas swirling around in my head and I’ve always been a project-oriented person so as the company came together, I realized this was the path for me. I wasn’t afraid to try running the show for myself.
What are the company’s plans in the next 5 years?
I’m very excited about the growth of Vintage-T. We are continuously signing more artists and acquiring new clients for synchronization licensing. Within the next few years, I hope to work on more films as a music supervisor. In our multiple departments, we have upcoming releases from artists, including myself. The next five years will be about growth and celebration of opportunity for our indie artists. We have some very exciting IP and productions in the works to continue our brand of community and respect.
What type of music/services are your best sellers to your clients?
Our synchronization licensing and music supervision services for films, advertisements, and other media forms have been our largest draw. Utilizing our one-stop shop approach for synchronization placements, we work hard to listen to the client’s needs and unpack the key words in each brief to find music to fit their vision. As a music supervisor, my experience in the film industry gives me an understanding of how to utilize music on screen with knowledge of the development to post-production process and beyond. Especially as content grows, there are constantly more needs for music.
If you could give one piece of advice future students, what would it be?
To not be afraid to define yourself in more than one way. We are often taught to define our careers with a title by saying “I am…” but what makes us the most authentic is our background and experiences. You can be more than one thing and it is okay! In fact, that’s what will make you stand out. You still need to know your craft and dedicate time to it but its okay to define yourself on your own terms, not the archetypes anyone tries to assume. People have tried to fit me into a box many times but I am more than one definition. My experiences in music and film have created a specific view of the entertainment industry that became the lens of my company.
Who have been your own biggest mentors and what is the best advice they have ever given you?
I have fortunately had many incredible mentors in my life. My creative partner, Rick Laser, and I have developed a creative respect for each other that has transcended into a true trusting partnership. My mentors span across a few industries but the role of a mentor is to draw out the essence of one’s creativity and strength. My writing professor, Julianna Baggott, is one of the brightest minds in the creative fields. One of the best things she taught me, was to dig deep into who I am and not settle for a surface level understanding of the world. I’ve been gifted with time with brilliant business minds as well including Dr. E Michael Harrington and John Kellogg and the brilliant and impassioned musical mentorship from Dionne Osborne.
What is the one advice that has impacted you the most?
An Emmy winning actor and recording artist once told me “songwriters own the world”. I was in middle school when I hear this so my understanding of this advice has grown dramatically. As my career has developed, that piece of advice has come to mean more than I thought it would. To me, underneath the first intention that writers have power, is the advice to know how to run your own show. Find power in your voice. Know the mechanics of everything you do and respect the development of the art. Without songwriters, songs wouldn’t exist as they do. That mindset can be applied to many, many different roles in the entertainment industry. This is a team sport so know how to be a force with your voice and know how to listen to the voices of others.
What is a skill you think all women should learn and why?
Find your voice. It’s already inside you, we just sometimes need time to call it out of the shadows. During my Masters in screenwriting at FSU, we spent months and months developing pitches for ourselves because who we are is what makes our writing stand out. My mentor has this incredible talent of seeing what makes someone who they are and encouraging creatives to use that as their superpower. She would push those elements of my voice into fruition and that’s a skill that all women should find for themselves and encourage for each other.
If you had an extra 6 hours in your day, what would you do?
Honestly, probably spend time with my cat watching movies or doing a puzzle. I’m an avid puzzler. As an entrepreneur, it is very easy to overwork yourself. I find I often work seven days a week as my company is growing. However, as long as I find a balance with healthy choices during my day such as workouts and balanced eating (and the occasional glass of wine when it is necessary), it’s about maintaining your energy in the long run. That energy is the essence to running a company. With an extra six hours, I would further balance my day with anything to recharge my creative energy, which often means pampering my cat.
What has been your key (or keys) to success?
Resolve. Running a company is about problem solving. You can’t be perfect in everything you do but if you’re open-minded and aware of your business, you can always improve. There were many times I had to fight to be heard in a room or to be taken seriously but resolve has kept me and my company evolving beyond.
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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