Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Anderson.
Hi Dan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started playing musical instruments in the 1st grade. I took violin lessons with one of the local music teachers in my hometown, Beth Habicht. She really was the first person to teach me how to read notes and understand music. After that, I started playing the saxophone in 5th grade in addition to the violin and was taught by Jeanette Jenson, who I still consider to be one of the main reasons I continued and continue to do music and music education. I felt like I was very strongly encouraged all through elementary and middle school to do music, practice, and become better by teachers like Mike Andersen, Jeanette Jenson, Beth Habicht, and Melanie Loy.
As I continued to learn music, I think that my ability to read/sight read music has given me a lot of opportunities (and let me get away with not practicing as much sometimes) and just being able to understand music to an aesthetic level. Of course, in college, I did get caught almost immediately for my lack of practice, and I had to change my habits. People like Russ Peterson and Kohei Kameda spent a lot of time drilling the importance of practice, scales, etudes, and how to focus on the small details. One of the biggest obstacles to getting better and learning more about music was honestly myself. Self-doubt, outside phenomena, etc. sometimes made it harder for me to see the future, the bigger plan, or even a plan, in general, to just move forward.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve struggled with things like self-doubt, self-criticism, negative self-talk, and a lot of other selves that have prevented me from always seeing the bright side of what has been going on. During the pandemic especially, being hindered in what kind of creative pursuits I was able to be a part of or partake in caused me at first to struggle with my own inability to create at the time, but I began to take on learning a number of skills to become more independent, but also more knowledgeable about other parts of the arts.
I think being able to find other like-minded individuals along the way and chipping and grinding away with some less desirable gigs and jobs has really allowed me to find my place in the arts community and continue to be able to make my own space in it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a music educator, a musician with groups like HUNNY BEAR and OnlyDans, a composer for school and my own groups, and a freelancer, playing a number of instruments for musicals, other side projects, recordings, and realistically anything. If I had to come up with a way to describe a “specialty” I would just say instrumental music. I started playing instruments when I was in 1st Grade, and have continued to grasp new instruments throughout my life. If I can get my hands on an instrument, I’m going to learn how to play it. I went to Concordia College – Moorhead for Instrumental Music Education so that I could pass on the love for music that was instilled in me by some truly inspiring educators throughout my life, but also be able to pursue and continue my passion for performing, composing, etc.
I love the sense of accomplishment I get from both watching a student of mine excel musically and being able to perform on a stage later that night in front of an audience. I don’t believe myself to be below average at any of the things I do in my career. I’m an accomplished educator, with many high-performing groups on my resume and I’ve found success as a musical performer. I think narrowing down what sets me apart, would be that I am constantly seeking new knowledge. I’m always looking, especially in music, to learn a new theory, new artists, new music, and new ways of doing things.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Honestly, if we’re giving a plug to anything specifically, Spotify has given me a wealth of new music listening from their curated playlists.
I get that the app isn’t for everyone, but if you’re looking for new music, they have these hyper-specific specialized lists to get you down a rabbit hole on a variety of genres. I’ve been specifically listening to a lot of Japanese Jazz Funk like Takuya Kuroda or Casiopea. It helps give me new ideas for compositions, riffs, and licks, but also just pure enjoyment.
Contact Info:
- Website: hunnybearjazz.wixsite.com/hunny-bear
- Instagram: @hunnybearjazz @olddanandthesea
- Facebook: Facebook.com/hunnybearjazz
- Youtube: YouTube.com/@hunnybearjazz
Image Credits
Nathan Johnson, Dan Anderson, and Shannon McGuire
