Since joining CDI in 2015 as an adjunct instructor, Dan Freeman has been instrumental in shaping how our students engage with Ableton Live and digital production, both in the studio and on stage. We are now excited to welcome him into a new professional chapter as a full-time Associate Arts Professor at the Clive Davis Institute. This appointment, effective Spring 2026, is made possible by a very loving, generous gift to CDI, specifically aimed at transforming the Institute’s digital and electronic music production curriculum. This visionary support finds its perfect advocate in Dan, whose work embodies the innovation and discovery that this initiative wishes to bring to CDI students.
A versatile artist, producer, and music technologist, Dan has established himself as a preeminent global expert in integrating digital technology into live performance environments. A Boston native of Nicaraguan descent, Dan graduated from Harvard University and soon after began a prolific career as a session bassist in New York City. His journey as a performing musician has taken him from the discipline of Broadway pit orchestras and the prestige of Carnegie Hall to the raw energy of underground loft performances across Europe and the Americas. He has performed and given workshops on electronic music production at prestigious festivals and institutions worldwide, including SXSW, Harvard University, Tecnológico Monterrey (Mexico City), Argenlive (Argentina), Ström (Copenhagen), Univ. de Santiago (Chile), and Sonar (Spain).
Dan joins our full-time faculty following a distinguished tenure as a professor at Berklee College of Music within the Electronic Production and Design department. His deep commitment to the future of the medium is further reflected in his ongoing work at The Juilliard School’s Center for Arts Innovation. In 2015, Dan founded the Brooklyn Digital Conservatory, a platform that brings artists, producers, educators, and performers to Latin America to teach courses, workshops, and perform live shows. In 2017, he partnered with DJLab in San Jose, Costa Rica, to create the very first digital & electronic music production certification program in Central America. Dan brings to CDI a unique synthesis of world-class musicianship, technical research & innovation, and pedagogy.
We are honored to continue our work with Dan and warmly welcome him into his new capacity as Associate Arts Professor.