Dan Mills

I'm Daniel. I'm a professional clarinetist with a passion for teaching. My mission as a teacher is to empower my students with the tools they need to reach their musical goals and have a lot of fun along the way. I am continually amazed by the endless process of mastering the clarinet. There is always more to listen for and new frontiers of expression to be found.

During my time at CU Boulder, where I earned my Master of Music degree, I was one of the clarinet teaching assistants in Daniel Silver's studio. I had the opportunity to teach undergraduate clarinet students and receive teaching feedback on a weekly basis. Since graduating from CU, I relocated north to Fort Collins and began teaching privately and giving free group lessons in schools.

I also had experience teaching at the Eastman School of Music, where I earned my Bachelor of Music degree. At Eastman I was a clarinet tutor through the community music school program. I also participated in the "Music for All" program, which presents outreach performances in Rochester area public spaces including schools, libraries, churches, and nursing homes. While I was the clarinetist in the wind quintet "quintensity", we organized a separate outreach event in Lake Placid, NY where we presented a full recital and gave performances and instrument sectionals in local schools.

I have experience playing in professional groups, including the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Fort Collins Symphony, the Cheyenne Symphony, and the Greeley Philharmonic.

I look forward to hearing from you and scheduling a lesson!

My mission as a teacher is to empower my students with the tools they need to reach their musical goals and have a lot of fun along the way. I am continually amazed by the endless process of mastering the clarinet. There is always more to listen for and new frontiers of expression to be found. 

I love helping students discover what lies on the frontiers of their musical expression and skill. One of my favorite teaching moments is witnessing the joy that a breakthrough brings. 10,000 tiny successes in making what was once difficult a bit easier add up over time. I aim for at least one success per lesson, and teach my students how to find these successes in their own practice.