DAN ANDERSON currently resides in Batavia with his wife Irene and their two sons, August and Dixon. His interest in music emerged at the age of nine with the discovery of his uncle's trumpet in the attic. Dan subsequently started playing the tuba in the fifth grade band and also enjoyed playing the baritone and trombone during his earlier years. He studied further at the Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Illinois and Northwestern University. Before finishing college, Dan spent two years living in Germany. There, his freelance work took him from the Octoberfest Bands to the Nuernberg Philharmonic. In addition to the Chicago Brass Quintet, he plays string bass with the Von Freeman Quintet and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble. On occasion Dan is also a guest with the Chicago Symphony and many other musical organizations in Chicagoland. He teaches jazz bass at Columbia College Chicago and tuba and euphonium at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. Dan always tries to bring relaxed spontaneity and positive energy to every performance and views his playing as a life-long endeavor.