Meet Tiffany Rachann | Musician. Author. CommuniTEA Educator.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tiffany Rachann and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tiffany, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Art is immaterial. I can’t imagine living without the luxury of such intricate expression. It’s the core of humanness and has an unusual way of connecting people to concepts and beliefs that may otherwise be out of reach.

When I decided to dive deep into my art, there was little contemplation. I’d denied myself the opportunity to go deeper for years until life and its more daunting lessons caught up with me. It put me at eye level, peering into what I knew was the only way I’d continue to survive, let alone thrive. And so the story goes. From where I stand today, I’m so glad I leaped. It was long overdue.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As an artist, I often work with graphic mediums, and I write professionally and for play. I dabble in textiles and painting from time to time as well. As a musician, my sound is considered Cosmic Soul, a blend of Motown Soul, Jazz, R&B, and the 80s sound.

I was born and raised in Detroit. As long as I can remember, art has always been running through my veins, especially music. I was formally exposed to music by my late Godmother, Florida Parish. She lived across the street from my Grandmother and taught music class at my elementary school. She gave me a good foundation where I learned to read and play music. I carried it with me through middle and when I got to high school, connected with a friend who thought I should sing with her Community Choir. My high school counselor had already recommended I explore my creative passions and recommended an Interior Design vocational class around the same time. Doing both opened up a whole new world for me. So much so that I believed I wanted to pursue being an artisan but I had children just before 20 years old and was faced with the reality of a “real job”. Looking back, I should have made the determination and stuck with it no matter what. Instead, I took to service, marketing, and sales roles with Fortune 500 companies, helping me to establish myself as a freelancer and consultant. I’ve developed and worked on some incredible projects since, but nothing soothes my soul like art.

Today, I am intentionally an artist. I’ve been leading with it formally for a hot minute, and it feels like home. Life hasn’t been easy. Through raising children as a single parent, financial hardship, chronic illness, and setback after setback, I can safely say that each lesson formed my view. As an artist, you are to become the art. It might not be pretty all of the time but it’ll always be valid. If I had to offer wisdom to anyone, regardless of the discipline, I’d offer something I heard Q-Tip say in a song “Sometimes in life when you go too far, the truth will lead you to who you are.” Stay there and learn to transmute the karma into medicine and you will discover your meaning. No one can take that from you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Wow. Such a big question. We’d have to go for an art, culture, and nature vibe. There’s so much to do in Tulsa. The architecture is superb, and nature is picturesque. Queue culture, and we’ve got everything. On day one, I’d want to start with my favorite, tea. Then take an educational tour of the historic neighborhoods, food (so much good food), museums-especially Greenwood Rising on Black Wall Street, then perhaps a forest visit, followed by live music and a curated cocktail. All on an e-bike that we can rent from almost anywhere around town. In the days following, I’d offer a mix of rest and reflection, ending the visit with happenings on Indigenous land with Natives. There are so many tribes represented in Tulsa that exploring what each has to offer is a whole trip in itself.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Many deserve recognition, and if this question were asked of me five years ago, I might start rambling off names from a list a mile long. The reality today is I deserve the most credit. For getting back up, hit after hit. For making the determination that I will succeed on my own terms. For seeing the versions of myself thru on the days when I had more questions than answers. Have there been folks that have identified as dreamkeepers, mentors, friends, and colleagues along my journey? Surely. I wouldn’t be the soul I AM without over 400 generations of my elders, ancestors, and guides. Notwithstanding, I can firmly say that I’ve been fortunate to be a part of many communities, each leaving an indelible impression on the being I am still becoming.

Website: www.bytiffanyrachann.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rachannis

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Rachannis/videos

Image Credits
Photo of me standing near “The Center of The Universe” outdoors with a sweater and brown hat is credited to Jason Varner Media @jvarner_media