MEET THE BAND
DRUMS
DAN COLLINS-CAVANAUGH
Born Daniel son of Joseph son of Charles, Dan Collins-Cavanaugh started playing various percussive instruments around the 5th grade…
He began his performing career in 7th grade, in the pit for the musical West Side Story. He quickly transitioned from orchestral percussion to the drum set, playing with local musicians in various venues he legally should not have entered until around the age of 20.
After a decade-long hiatus, Dan, by this point, Dr. Dan, re-emerged via the jazz scene. But it wasn’t until Fall of 2012 that he began playing regularly again with the PGCC jazz ensemble. After several years with this small-group jazz arrangement, he branched out to the local bar-band music scene, joining a classic-rock trio in summer of 2016, which he played with through summer of 2017.
In Spring of 2017, Dr. Dan decided to expand his repertoire again by joining the hard rock cover band Framing the Tin Man. Fusing his jazz sensibilities with hard rock stylings earned him several unknown nicknames, including “Drummer Ordinaire” and “The World’s Most Intermediate Drummer.”
Unfortunately, COVID put a crimp in his public playing. But once the world opened back up, Dr. Dan returned with a vengeance. He rejoined Framing the Tin Man, which continues to blow up the southern MD, Northern/Central VA bar scene. He also joined a band of itinerant jazz musicians based out of Bethesda, led by the incomparable Mark Rockman. After about two years of face-melting jazz, this group was joined by the fantabulous Ms. Moon, and transformed into the Moonshine Orchestra – the area’s premier neo-soul music extravaganza!
When he isn’t playing drums with these fine musical operations, Dr. Dan teaches people philosophy or something while thoughtfully stroking his beard.