Daily Inspiration: Meet Alan Ishii

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Ishii.

Hi Alan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I make a very interesting connection between my strict, Japanese upbringing and my penchant for nudism (that’s how we worked in the rice fields and relaxed in the bath houses, after all), but that’s for a different kind of interview. I currently host a big, frenetic LGBT cabaret called Gay D.D. with my co-producer, Princess PoodlePoo; again, the name of the game is “frenetic”. It’s like ADD, but gay. And that all started back in 2015 when I plopped back from San Francisco and sent a random e-mail to Art Share LA, found via a Google search, which is one of the most magical, accommodating spaces in town. So a little moxie got me where I am today. That, and punctuality. That gets you gigs.

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?
The road has been bumpy inasmuch that I constantly challenge myself, and always set very high, large-scale artistic goals. Most of the time it works. And when it doesn’t, everyone loves watching a dumpster fire, so that’s okay too.

However, it has been smooth to the extent that something I learned early on, don’t try to win over haters. Court the people who are already rooting for you, and the path paves itself. Plus, we’re all artists. There’s no reason to have a bad time. If I wanted to be financially rewarded for being around people I hate, I’d go to law school.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a pianist, singer, composer, producer, and filmmaker. I am quite proud of what I have helped create with my show, Gay D.D. (next one, March 26, by the way). And on that note, the element through my work that makes me stand out, I’m not afraid to think big and wear the pants (though I never wear pants in the literal sense). From my music directing experience, I’m not afraid to have thirty or more musicians to whip into shape. I write symphonies. And the greatest gift of thinking in symphonic terms — contemplating form, pacing, rhythm, and motive, and how to keep an audience amused for over an hour — is that it makes you one hell of a lover. Alas, TikTok does not cultivate such talents.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Just do it. Tease people, please people. Annoy them. Argue. This isn’t an American Idol audition; everyone doesn’t have to love you. In order to break the rules, you have to know what the rules are first. Study art, ALL the arts. Watch the greatest films. Familiarize yourself with opera and Greek drama; 99% of the bullshit and relationship problems we have today have been explored in great depth via opera and Greek drama. I mean, it doesn’t really help you avoid the bullshit, but it makes you markedly less surprised when you inevitably step in it.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: onlyfans.com/alaniii
• Instagram: instagram.com/gayddla/
• Facebook: facebook.com/gayddla
• Twitter: twitter.com/gayddla