drummer. composer. educator.
DAN'S MUSIC
DEBUT FULL-LENGTH ALBUM "SHINE THRU" COMING MAY 13, 2022
ABOUT THE ALBUM
I’ve had a working band called Explorations! for about 7-8 years now. It originally started as a way for me to explore my music and learn how to help deliver other musician’s music. Sometimes I would feature different band member’s music, other times I would feature music I was listening to and being inspired by. The band never stayed the same, so the music never stayed the same, and I’ve always enjoyed that. It was a way for me to reach out to other members of our musical community and explore different compositions, thought processes, and expectations. Those experiences have been invaluable to my growth as a drummer, musician, and supporter of others. It also taught me a lot about bandleaders who can really lead from their instruments AND from their compositions. It’s been an honor to play and learn from wonderful composers like Josh Nelson, Billy Childs, Dayna Stephens, Anthony Wilson, John Daversa and Dan Rosenboom. They all write very different music that remains honest to their individual character, and naturally flows from the rich history of music!
"The making of 'Shine Thru' has been a journey in realizing my own musical vision and having the confidence to truly lead from the drumset. The album is my reminder that it's okay to step in to the light and lead by example."
- DAN SCHNELLE
On Shine Thru, Schnelle invites the listener into his sonic globe with the hopes that you’ll be spellbound. Schnelle explains, “My main goal, within the compositional process, was to create and deliver music that transports listeners to a new mental space – to invite them into my world, and make music that feels engrossing, so the listener loses their sense of time and space. If my music can be a portal for even a few people, it has done its job.” A lofty goal? Perhaps, but give-in to the celestial music that Schnelle has created with his amazing team of fellow artists, and longtime collaborators and friends, Josh Nelson (piano), Jeff Babko (piano, keyboards), Anthony Wilson (guitar), David Binney (alto saxophone) and Alex Boneham (bass), and who knows what may happen when you experience Schnelle’s true creative soul which permeates every ounce of this music.
Being a much sought after sideman often means repressing some of your own musical impulses, ideas and instincts. For a highly creative person, it is imperative to have a balance, and to create and walk your own path as well! Through that desire to step-out and put himself in a place where the decision-making brought his focus towards what is aesthetically in-line with his creative vision, we have this wonderful debut from Schnelle, which is sure to be the first in a series of engaging recordings to come. “This album is my first real step into owning everything I'm doing. I never wanted my first record to be standards, covers or expected material from a ‘jazz drummer’; I was committed to it representing me musically, and not at all based on what I, or someone else, think the audience wants to hear, or in some way is just ‘checking boxes.’ Hopefully, this record stands as a piece of art, not as a business card to show what I'm capable of,” says Schnelle.
Shine Thru, is an affirmation. A message that it's okay to commit to what you see, hear and feel, and to step into the light and be YOU, come hell or high-water. “I can't know that I'll always be shining, but if I'm holding back, I definitely won't be shining thru...,” says Schnelle.
