Conversations with Parker Wonser and Dan Peerbolt

Today we’d like to introduce you to Parker Wonser and Dan Peerbolt.

Hi Parker and Dan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We’re two best friends and ambitious, talented entrepreneurs who came together with an idea that could upend the traditional entrance into the music industry. We want to break in with ingenuity and heart and we’ve come up with an out-of-the-box way to collaborate with the world and create a viral pop song in 30 days!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Dan Peerbolt: I want to be a world-class producer, but as an independent artist from a small town, it’s almost impossible to break into the industry. At the age of two I began singing and playing piano, and at 13 I started writing my own songs. My brother Brian’s wonderous piano playing sparked a love for jazz, and eventually, I purchased a keyboard to record and layer tracks into mini songs. I lived and breathed music. I was really driven as a teenager and I started a piano servicing apprenticeship at 14. I became a Registered Piano Technician 4 years later, and as I learned new skills and met new people, I expanded to starting my own piano tuning business, servicing pianos all over West Michigan.

A friend bailed on me for a cross-country road trip we were planning to take, and instead of wallowing in disappointment, I put the money I’d saved for the trip toward buying a Mac computer with interface and Logic. That’s how my journey of writing pop and hip-hop songs began. I crafted songs for family and friends, and studied up on production, mixing, and mastering. Producing became my primary passion and brought me limitless joy. Over the past six years I have been diving deeper and doing and learning all that I can to make production my full-time career. 

Parker Wonser: I have always had a bent toward design and invention. Growing up, my heroes were Leonardo Da Vinci and Thomas Edison. As early as 1st grade, you could find me drawing and inventing products. My family watched as I leaned into my creative side and grew in my ability to realize the concepts in my mind. In high school, I started to notice that my designs were randomly appearing in stores, and I began to realize my knack for innovation. I pursued an industrial design degree at Kendall College of Art and Design and graduated top of my class in 2020.

For my senior thesis, I developed a product that helps songwriters compose more efficiently by enabling them to silently capture inspiration whenever and wherever it hits. I took this idea further than most people would, assembling a team of graphic designers, industrial designers, and musicians, winning 1st place in two state-wide pitch competitions. Filing for a non-provisional utility patent, I brought this product through a 6-month Accelerator Program in West Palm Beach, Florida, attracting the attention of both instructors and fellow participants. During this project, I used stop motion video to create financial support. 

One day in 2022, a blueprint dropped into my mind to merge design thinking with music composition. I needed a partner to make this idea a reality and who better to call than my best friend Dan? Our vibrant, intuitive personalities and visionary mindsets complement each other in a fun and unique way. We are not just creative innovators, we also have the business acumen we need to make things happen. We understand what it takes to accomplish major projects and are willing to put in the work.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
For this project, our plan is to apply the design process to music composition by collaborating with a group of 20 local musicians, producers, singers, and songwriters. In every stage of the song’s conception, the public will give feedback through online polls via newsletter. Essentially, Dan will be collaborating with the world to create their new favorite song.

The 30-day composition process will be captured in a 25-minute documentary to premiere at the end of April 2023 with a 300-400 person audience. In the end Dan and the 20 original collaborators will be tied to a viral pop song, advancing each of them in their musical careers and inspiring future collaboration. If the movement is successful, there is space for more chapters to the story, reaching a different group of artists in another city.

To acquire tickets for our Documentary Premiere (Wednesday evening, April 26, 2023), join the newsletter here: https://forms.gle/kLTsAx69CE91CBF29. If you want to invest in making this vision a reality, consider helping us reach our fundraising goal to cover video equipment and premiere costs. Email us at [email protected] if you’d like to help. Any support is appreciated to help launch this dream packed with potential.

Contact Info:

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