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Daniel's
Musical Story...
Daniel's love and passion for music
started at an early age. By the time
he was in second grade, he woke up several
hours early to practice the clarinet.
At age ten, he pursued a strong interest
in playing the bass. By the time he
was a teenager, he was playing in and
around Chicago Land. Dan played everything
from the Polka to heavy metal and Lionel
Richie love songs. Between the ages
of 18 and 22, Daniel was part of a band
called Mantra, playing at festivals,
social events, high class clubs and
elite hotels including Leko and the
Rita Carlton in Chicago. He began playing
in a band for Sherry Coffman, a Warner
Brother's recording artist. By the time
Daniel was 25-26 however, he became
seriously disenchanted with the music
business. He had this to say about it,
"The music
business was cut throat and heavy
in the drug scene. I was being chased
by the DEA for drug dealing. I had
a strong feeling that staying in this
business would leave me dead or in
jail."
Daniel's distaste for the music business
combined with news that he was expecting
a child, motivated him to make a change.
He went to work in a factory for heat
treating steel - very difficult work
in extremely oppressive conditions.
Within a short time, Daniel reconsidered
the music business and began making
plans to get back into it. A couple
of months later he found himself in
the hospital undergoing amputation of
all of his limbs. Surprisingly, during
the immediate post-operative period,
Daniel was thinking about how and what
type of music he was going to play again.
He explained,
"If you have
enough left, you should be able to
play drums which works best with the
bass. The best drummer I know told
me that the action is all in the thumbs
and the wrists. With both wrists and
both knees, I knew that I could play
the drums."
Shortly after recuperating in a rehab
hospital, Daniel volunteered as a clinical
subject for student Prostatists who
were learning how to make orthotics
for amputees at Northwestern University
in Chicago. He began helping fellow
amputees adjust to orthotics through
empowering messages that assisted them
in their recovery. This experience aligned
Daniel with his true purpose - to empower
others through sharing his story and
overcoming his own challenges. About
the same time Daniel had a set of custom
made leather mitts made for holding
drum sticks. He bought an electronic
drum and began practicing on a snare
drum that he already had. On Christmas
Day in 1997, two years from the time
of his accident, Daniel purchased a
full drum set.
For several years, the music was put
on hold as Daniel became immersed in
a variety of new activities that filled
him with passion and purpose. He founded
S.H.A.R.E., Society for Handicapped
Achievement, Rehabilitation and Empowerment,
a not-for-profit organization to help
handicapped individuals become empowered
through sailing. This led to competitive
sailing and yacht racing and public
speaking for a variety of groups and
organizations.
During the Spring of 2006, Daniel turned
40 and decided it was time to redirect
some of his attention toward music.
His drum set was waiting for him, all
assembled in the living room of his
compact two bedroom condo. Daniel started
taking drum lessons, practicing two
hours a day. Within a short time he
was performing, almost like the pro
that he was in his youth.
Daniel's
Music Today...
Today Daniel presents his music in
combination with recorded instruments
that complete an instrumental big band
sound. People watch and listen with
amazement as Daniel takes the concept
of possibilities to a new level. One
of the highlights of Daniel's musical
presentation is the sharing of his story.
He makes a powerful connection with
the audience and people leave with much
more than they expect - his wisdom,
sincerity and inspirational message
lifts spirits and empowers them to understand
that with the right choices and attitude,
anything is possible.
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