Check Out Phillip Kanakis’ Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Phillip Kanakis.

Hi Phillip, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Music has been a passion of mine my whole life. It began with me taking piano lessons when I was three years old.

When I was 12 years old, I began writing my songs and when I was 16 I stepped into the recording studio for the first time. Once in the recording studio, I was hooked!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like everything in life, there are ups and downs, there are zigs and zags. With anything you embark on, whether it be something in music, working in the medical field, or having a position in the corporate world, there will be times when you question if you’ll reach your goals and aspirations.

Regardless of whatever you are aiming to achieve, or of the field it is in, there will be challenges that have to be overcome. Diligence and patience are needed in order to persevere through them if you want to reach your goals. The most important thing is that you have integrity and don’t settle yourself short, with whatever you do or aspire to do.

I turned down a recording contract with a major label that many people would have jumped at. In the end, it wasn’t right for me and because of the nature of the music that they would have wanted me to create, it would have taken me down a path that I didn’t want to go down.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
After turning down a recording contract in my college years, I decided to pursue the independent route and record and produce under my own label. My partner and I eventually aligned ourselves with some major distributors in our market, and we went on to release close to 17 albums over 8 years.

These early recordings set our foundation and garnered international followers such as the former President of Sri Lanka, the former President of Malaysia, and the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Both the former Presidents of Sri Lanka and Malaysia were instrumental in our early albums getting radio play at their request in their respective countries.

Another passion of mine from an early age was sound-healing. From the moment of realization regarding the power of music, I’ve strived to incorporate the healing qualities of sound into every project that I work on.

I have always wanted to work on an instrumental album that was more melodic and epic. So this year, I am releasing “Aquarius Rising.” I am very excited to share this, and it will be available on all digital platforms on August 18th.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I already had some clients that I was working with virtually, so it wasn’t that far of a stretch for me to start producing virtually as well.

Sometimes, when we are not able to do things as we are used to, that could be a reason why many people believe they just can’t do something. But for some people, it can become the catalyst that propels them to find new ways that open up other opportunities that would not have been there previously.

Contact Info:

• Website: phillipkanakis.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turnupthepeace/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phil.kanakis
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipkanakis/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFXtepMyxtTqHF2UJA_xG3A

Image Credits
Holly Fischer and Aquarius Rising