Dan graduated magna cum laude from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Trumpet in 1981. He received a Masters degree in Applied Trumpet from the University of Houston in 1983. He pursued one year of doctoral studies with Vincent Cichowicz at Northwestern University and is currently finishing doctoral studies with James Austin at the University of Houston.

Dan has performed with the Texas Opera Theater, and the Houston Grand Opera. Currently he is performing with The Bach Society, Theater Under the Stars and Jazz in the Morning.