Available for hire
Dan Ogrodnik
Session & Live Musician · Music Director · Session & Live Engineer
CalArts MFA / Hartt BM. World and classical percussion for sessions, stages, and pits - with music direction and tracking / live sound when the room needs it.
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“With the success of ensembles such as Repercussion Unit, Hands On'Semble, HazMat Percussion Duo, Limbs, Duo Jalal, Rhein Percussion, and percussionists Greg Meyer, B. Michael Williams, and Shane Shanahan, among many others, world percussion compositions are increasing in quality and quantity.”- Percussive Notes
Work
Listen
Session and ensemble recordings, grouped by project. Full catalog on SoundCloud.
About
Session and live musician - with ears for the room.
Session and live percussionist with an MFA in Multi-Focus Percussion from CalArts and a BM from The Hartt School. Study includes a residency in Ghana (Dagara Music Center / Dagbe Music Center). I work across classical and contemporary repertoire and world traditions - Latin, African, Brazilian, Indian, Persian, steelpan, and more.
For 5+ years I was a live accompanist at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance - Contemporary, Afro-Cuban, Partnering, Modern, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Commercial Dance, Dunham Technique, improvisation, and guest clinicians. Instructors I've played for include Desmond Richardson, Dwight Rhoden, Patrick Corbin, Victor Quijada, and the Complexions Contemporary Ballet Summer Intensive. I've also composed and performed original music for Kaufman choreography.
Other headline credits: West Coast premiere of John Luther Adams's Inuksuit (Ojai, curated by Steven Schick); Hands On'Semble with Rhein Percussion at The Blue Whale; Bella Strings at The Beverly Hilton for King Salman of Saudi Arabia; Capitol Records sessions. Artists and projects include Izela, ZAUB, Sin Color, Kan Wakan, Sofi Mkheyan, Saba Alizadeh, Vinny Golia, and Sulley Imoro.
I music-direct, track and mix in Pro Tools, Reaper, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro (MaxMSP for custom tools), and run live sound (FOH / monitors) when the gig calls for it. Teaching and clinics (CalArts, Evergreen) are part of the craft.
Services
What I offer
Session and live musician work first - with direction and engineering when you need the room covered too.
Session & live musician
World and classical percussion for studio dates, concerts, festivals, theater pits, and dance-class accompaniment. Multi-genre, chart-ready, and comfortable improvising.
Music direction
Musical direction for rehearsals and show night: chart preparation, cue maps, tempo maps, and calling the room so the band and tech stay aligned. Ableton Live show playback for click-tracked performances: programming click, count-ins, spoken/MIDI cues, and multitrack backing stems with dedicated sends to FOH and monitors. Live laptop performance management: showfile structure, scene/clip triggering, session automation, and reliable onstage playback so the ensemble locks to the grid from downbeat to curtain.
Session & live engineering
Tracking and mixing in Pro Tools, Reaper, Ableton, and Logic. Live sound for FOH and monitors, plus load-in and stage support.
Teaching & clinics
Private study, classroom work, and guest masterclasses - including CalArts Percussion Forum and school clinics.
Selected credits
- CalArts MFA (Multi-Focus Percussion); Hartt BM; Ghana residency (Dagara / Dagbe)
- USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance - live accompanist, 5+ years (Contemporary, Afro-Cuban, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and more; instructors incl. Desmond Richardson, Dwight Rhoden, Patrick Corbin, Victor Quijada; Complexions Contemporary Ballet Summer Intensive)
- John Luther Adams, Inuksuit - West Coast premiere, Ojai Music Festival (curated by Steven Schick)
- Hands On'Semble with Rhein Percussion - The Blue Whale
- Bella Strings - The Beverly Hilton, for King Salman of Saudi Arabia
- Capitol Records sessions (incl. Cross Pulses, Abuelo; Celia Cruz track selected for mastering)
- Izela I; ZAUB; Sin Color; theater pits including The Boy from Oz and Spring Awakening
Tools
Pro ToolsReaperAbleton LiveLogic ProMaxMSP
Studying
WwiseFMODUnity audioUnreal audio / MetaSounds
Building interactive / game-audio skills through study, jams, and GameSoundCon.
Contact
Get in touch
Booking session or live musician work, music direction, or studio / live sound support? Email me - I respond quickly.
Los Angeles / Crestline, CA