We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Henry Panion, III and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Henry, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve been in music all my life. I’ve always loved the arts. And at every stage of “success,” I’ve come to love and enjoy it even more. I’d like to say that I really believe…..No….I know that I am following my passion and walking in my God-given purpose.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I first thought that after attaining the doctorate that I would neither read nor study another book or subject the rest of my life….just joking. However, it wasn’t too long after having attained that terminal degree that I realized that all I had really done was commit myself to a lifetime of learning. In fact, the most valuable aspects of an education may not be the factoids professors recite in their lectures, but passing on of skills that teach students how to learn on their own.

I have, no doubt, had some wonderful experiences. In fact, if one would have mentioned to me early on that my artistic, professional, educational, business, family, and (yes) spiritual life would be as rich and rewarding as it continues to be, I would probably have asked them what 10 different people are you talking about. I have always been willing to work hard to achieve goals I’ve set for myself and not afraid….or too afraid to fail. The beautiful thing about success is the more one succeeds, the more one wants to succeed. And when there have been roadblocks and challenges, which are inevitable, all they have done is serve as the fuel for me to take a different route to overcome them.

Working with the likes of the major artists and orchestras as I do, running and owning my own entertainment and production company and studios, and having a distinguished appointment at a major research university may appear a too lofty. Yet, here I am, and I truly don’t view myself as extra special. I’m just an individual who has been willing to work hard, everyday, throughout my entire life. I feel as if the life I’ve been given is a gift. Thus, the opportunities I have had and continue to have are gifts….ones in which I don’t want to squander. For me it’s all about the “doing” and not the “being.” I want to do great works. I want to do many thing, and I want to do them well. I’m not striving to “BE” anything. I want the things I do to count, to matter, to be impactful, and to affect hearts and the conditions of society. That is why, for me, the Arts are not a mere luxury but an essential part of life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you are coming to my hometown of Birmingham, AL, no trip would be complete without attending one of the more than 200 events presented each year in the UAB Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center. It’s the home of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, UAB’s departments of music and theatre, and it serves host to a wide array of major artists each year, from the likes of Gladys Knight to Yo-Yo Ma. The five state-of-the-art performance halls are simply unbelievable, and that’s before leaving campus.

My favorite places to eat after a concert are Chez Fonfon and Hot & Hot Fish Club, both chefs are James Beard winners, i.e., Frank Stitt and Chris Hastings, respectively. But for some down-home meat & three, I usually head to Niki’s West.

No trip to Birmingham would be complete without visiting the Birmingham Civil Rights District, which includes the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, the site of the tragic bombing in 1963 that killed here four little African-American girls, now simply referenced as “The Four Little Girls.”

Finally, from the rolling hills, parks, and lush greenery throughout the city, Birmingham is such a beautiful town in so many ways. From Railroad Park, to the Barber Motor Speedway, to Vulcan Park, to the Uptown district, and our newest attraction, the award-winning City Walk Park, the week will be filled with excitement.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shoutout to my deceased aunt, Mabel Colquitt, who bought me my first musical instrument as a kindergartner. Most importantly, as a highly successful business owner, entrepreneur, and educator, it was her drive for success that made me (literally) want to strive to become the absolute best I could. Not only me, but her leadership in the community and the great respect others had for her (not because of anything she said, but because of everything she did) was the great example for me, one that I have strived to live up to throughout my entire life.

Website: henrypanion.com

Instagram: @hpanion

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrypanion/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/henrypanion

Other: https://audiostate55.com

Image Credits
All photos courtesy of of Audiostate 55 Entertainment.

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