Expertise • Enthusiasm • Excellence

Dan Searle
Voice, Guitar, Piano

Dan graduated from Berklee School of Music Magna Cum Laude, with a BMus in Guitar Performance. His principal instructors were George Garzone, Richie Hart, Tim Miller, and Mick Goodrick. He also took part in UMass Amherst’s “Jazz in July” program. He studied piano with Mark Shilansky at Berklee, and his voice teachers were Jeff Ramsey at Berklee, Justin Stoney at the NYC Vocal Coaching School, and Mark Baxter.

Following his education, Dan embarked on a dynamic performance career across the US. He has played in venues such as Hotel Café and Academy LA in Hollywood, the Berklee Performance Center, Boston's Hard Rock Café, and The Palladium in Worcester, MA; and at countless music festivals across the East Coast, in a wide variety of genres including jazz, rock, and alternative music.

In 2012, Dan was selected as a semi-finalist in Lee Ritenour's international Yamaha Six-String Theory Guitar Competition for his skills in jazz and fusion guitar. His compositions have received critical acclaim, earning awards in the Pop Category of the John Lennon Songwriting Competition in 2018 and the International Songwriting Competition in 2022. His music catalog has garnered over one million streams on Spotify and received airplay on various radio stations, including 104.1 FM and 92.5 The River.

Dan has taught at private music schools across New England, including The Musical Suite (NBPT), The Leddy Center for the Arts (NH), and Jammin' With You (MA). He also has extensive experience leading student ensembles, and believes that collaborative playing is essential for a musician’s development in listening skills, teamwork, and performance confidence. Dan believes in music education that is fun, stimulating, and engaging, ensuring students remain inspired throughout their journey.

In 2018, Dan founded his own record label and music agency, Lit Honey Productions, with the mission of bringing quality music and art to audiences worldwide. Under Dan’s leadership, LHP has become a hub for professional musicians and visual artists, fostering a growing community within the New England arts scene.

Meet Dan

1. How/what age did you start your instrument?
   I started playing piano at age 7 after begging my parents for a Yamaha PSR keyboard from Circuit City—this was back in 1998! That same year, I also began playing violin in the school string program. I had always noodled around with my dad’s guitar—he didn’t play, but I was fascinated by it. I eventually got serious about guitar at age 12, after having played drums for a while on a drum kit I found at a yard sale for five dollars.
2. Did you come from a musical family?
   I come from a family of music lovers who appreciated all styles—from jazz and classical to pop and folk. My uncle is a drummer, and we shared that connection when I started playing with his band during rehearsals at around age 13. My grandmother is also a successful abstract artist, so there are strong creative roots in my family. However, I’m the first professional musician on both sides of the family.
3. Best or funniest (or even worst!) musical memory from childhood?
   There are so many, but I’ll share this one: When I was taking violin in elementary school, the main school building was being remodeled, so our classes were held in a temporary modular structure behind the school. Our orchestra strings class was literally taught in a space that doubled as the cafeteria janitor's closet! We’d play our instruments next to cans of soup and buckets of paint.
4. A highlight or two from your performing career:
   One highlight was being selected to perform at the Berklee Performance Center by one of my musical influences, Garrison Fewell, who authored Jazz Improvisation for Guitar: A Melodic Approach. After my performance, I told him how much his book had influenced me, and he told me I had “transcended everything in the book.” That moment meant a lot.
   Another major highlight was performing at Academy LA, a prominent venue in Hollywood, with my solo project. I’ve also performed internationally in Canada and played countless music festivals across the East Coast. A recent highlight was performing at the legendary Hotel Cafe in Hollywood with Viktoria Vera, one of my main projects. That venue has hosted everyone from John Mayer to Chris Martin—it's a special place where anything can happen on any given night.
5. What do you love about teaching?
   There’s so much I love about teaching. I enjoy taking students through my unique methods because, if they stick with it, they develop musical awareness and skills that I myself didn’t learn and develop until I studied with some of Berklee’s most advanced instructors—like George Garzone, Richie Hart, Wayne Krantz, and Tim Miller.
   I especially love teaching proper rhythmic technique, using what I call “The 3 Rules of Playing In Time,” and helping students fall in love with the metronome. Watching students grow from a casual interest to passionately collecting gear, making music videos, and releasing original music is incredibly fulfilling. That transformation—especially when it hits an exponential curve—is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.
6. What would you like your students to know about you?
   One thing I love about American culture is how deeply we value music and art, which has allowed me to make music my full-time career. In addition to teaching, I’m also a successful music producer and the founder of my own company, Lit Honey Productions.
   I want my students to know there are countless ways to express themselves musically and artistically—and I strive to be an example of that creative freedom and entrepreneurial spirit.
7. Can you share a non-musical fun fact about you?
   A fun non-musical fact about me is that I’m passionate about meditation! I was recently featured at the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Institute. Meditation has really helped me stay grounded and focused amidst the fast-paced lifestyle of running a music label, managing professional artists, and maintaining an active teaching practice.
   My songs and productions have won international recognition, including awards from the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the International Songwriting Competition.