Dan grew up in the small town of Tustin, Michigan, before moving to Detroit. Later, he studied Guitar Performance at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Dan returned to Detroit where he has directed music camps and taught guitar/bass.  His work also includes playing as a pit instrumentalist in many musicals around metro Detroit, at the Midland Center for the Arts, and at Pit and Balcony in Saginaw. 

He has composed music for the Emmy-nominated PBS television program, “Your Brush with Nature.” He earned a Telly award for music composed for the animation, “Three Wombats.” He has also scored for the Android video game app, “Geometry Mobsters.” 

He has written and produced music for more than 20 short movies released by Superhouse Pictures, where he won BEST ORIGINAL SONG and BEST SCORE for the short movie, “Funnel Face.” He is currently the executive producer and primary composer for GO Great Lakes Productions based in Midland, MI.

Dan is active as an educator and clinician, speaking at local high schools, colleges and universities on music production and composition in media and in the video game industry. He is also a member of the Detroit chapter of the International Game Development Association. 

Dan has played with the international group, Bluetree, and he performs regularly at Midland Reformed Church. He has also performed with local artists including, Allen as Tim and the Dancehall Rockers, Emerging Soul, The Mega 80s, The Square Pegz, The Detroit Party Marching Band, and Opera Lite at Greenfield Village. Dan is currently the Guitarist and Musical Director for the artist, Eight Armed Killer.