Dan is from the small, rural town of Bucksport in Downeast Maine. He has established a successful career as a vocalist, earning his BFA in Vocal Performance at the University of Southern Maine and sang professionally in the US and Europe as a soloist for many choruses, churches, and opera companies. His resume includes performances of Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Professor Bhaer in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, and Elijah in Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

“I have always loved helping people. Music was the driving force in my life though, until I began volunteering at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. While at Dana-Farber I saw just how amazing medicine could be when the highest quality care is combined with true compassion. It is my hope that one day I can give that same excellent care and compassion to people in small, under-served communities like my hometown.

“The small class size has afforded me with the individualized attention I've needed to succeed in the challenging classes. In other programs I might have been in classes with 100 other students made of mostly undergrads. But here at Bennington classes are almost exclusively postbacs and do not exceed 20 students. This allows for personalized, individual attention from the professors. Another exciting part of Bennington’s program is the Field Work Term. This two month long winter break gives students time to volunteer in the healthcare field. I will be shadowing physicians in Toronto, and volunteering at a research lab in Boston.”