Meet Dani Zanoni
Dani Zanoni grew up in a home that was always alive with music, and she started singing when she was a young girl. In elementary school, this morphed into voice lessons, and later, choirs and musicals. Then, during her sophomore year of high school, she got her first guitar and began songwriting.
“When I was younger, I would write poetry and little songs in my head, but I never could really get them down, so having that guitar was awesome,” Dani said.
She continued to foster her love and knowledge of music in college, majoring in music industry and performance. She graduated from Ramapo College in 2019 and has been playing professionally ever since.
DnA: More than good genes
DnA is a musical collaboration between Dani and longtime friend, Alex Kerssen. They met during high school while he played guitar in school shows. At the time they clicked, and have been playing together ever since.
Alex graduated from William Paterson as a jazz pianist in music education. Depending on the gig, he will play either piano or guitar depending on the vibe and location.
“We love going to the West Milford Farmers Market since West Milford is our hometown, it’s always great to be playing back there,” Dani said.
Musical influences
Dani said she has been inspired by Sara Bareilles from the very start. Growing up, she also loved and admired Michelle Branch and Kelly Clarkson, particularly as she was the first American Idol winner. Following her journey really inspired Dani to start her own musical career.
When it comes to cover music, DnA has well over one hundred songs in their repertoire, spanning everything from country to rock and pop. They have a spread of classics, but also today’s current favorites. They tend to focus on music that can really highlight Alex on guitar or piano.
One of their favorites to play is a “cover of a cover” of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’,” redone in the style of John Mayer, and then spun again to reflect DnA’s unique style.
“We have been doing that [cover] from the start, and every time we play it I am obsessed with it,” Dani said.
Other popular covers they love to play include “Valerie,” by Amy Weinhouse, “Crazy,” by Gnarls Barkley, “Sweet Child of Mine,” and “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder.
Dani’s original music is further influenced by current favorites, Julia Michaels and Sasha Sloan. Although DnA plays predominately cover songs, they will often throw in some of Dani’s originals, too.
Dani’s passion for music
For Dani, music has always been her escape and her therapy. She found it a support when working through her feelings or anxiety, and her originals reflect the emotional process, and are inspired by real life experiences.
“Music was always the thing that always brought me back, and always the thing that calms me down and helps me feel okay,” Dani said. “My songwriting process was always about getting all those thoughts and emotions out. I want to write music knowing that at least one person can connect with it… and it’s the same with performing… to connect and feel like they’re not alone in the things they’re going through.”
What Dani loves most about music is when someone walks up to her after a show and tells her that they really connected with her music. It means even more when the song was one of her originals.
“There’s something about how music helps people connect,” Dani said. “You see [the audience’s] faces when they connect and are in the music with you…. There’s nothing I love more…. [than] knowing you can connect with people doing something you love so much.”
She’s taken this one step further by teaching the love of music to students with lessons at North Jersey Guitar.
Discover more Dani
In 2017, Dani released her first album… a five song EP. This was followed by two other singles, including “Rabbit Hole,” an exploration in her genre and sound, a transformative process that helped Dani figure out who she is and where she wants to go as a musician.
“[With “Rabbit Hole,”] I got to dive into my creativity in all aspects, from the video to the promotion,” Dani said. “It set me off for where I want to place myself as an artist and keep working toward.”
Dani is in the process of releasing her second EP about living through your 20s in the 2020s, particularly regarding those internal feelings with the unrest in today’s world.
“It’s a super intimate album and I’m super excited to share that with everyone,” Dani said.
DnA will play the West Milford Farmers Market on Wednesday, September 14th from 3-6pm. Come on down and say hi, and visit her online to learn more:
Website: https://danizanoni.com
Lessons: https://www.northjerseyguitar.com/
To discover more on Dani, including links to her music, upcoming events and more, visit her linktree at: http://linktr.ee/danizanonimusic
Dani Zanoni has been performing in the West Milford area since she was a little girl. Her signature style is a blend of indie rock and pop that creates a contagious melody. She has recorded with famous producer Tony Black in NYC and released five different songs.
