Daniel Eastwood is a versatile percussionist and music educator. He prides himself in maintaining a wide range of musical knowledge from traditional to contemporary musics spanning the world.
Daniel is Innovative Percussion Educational Artist and Beetle Percussion Artist. He is a co-founder of The Project Two Percussion Duo, a contemporary percussion duo dedicated to performing percussion music of our time. He is also an active member of The Chicago Bears Drumline, The Chicago Bulls Drumline, and the contemporary berimbau sextet Projecto Arcomusical, an ensemble devoted to performing and commissioning new works for the ancient berimbau instrument.
Daniel has performed with a variety of ensembles including KANSAS, The Elgin Symphony Orchestra, The Illinois Philharmonic, the 2008 and 2009 World Champion Indoor Percussion Ensemble, Pioneer Indoor, and shared programs with bands such as Fleetwood Mac, xBishopx, and Magic!. As an active percussionist, he has presented music to audiences at such venues as Millennium Park, House of Blues Chicago, The Museum of Contemporary Arts in Chicago, Soldier Field, The United Center, Harper College, Northern Illinois University, Eastern Illinois University, The Lynden Sculpture Garden in Milwaukee, and in Indianapolis at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.
Daniel’s interest in percussion instruments and techniques from around the world have led him to study music from Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and The Dominican Republic. In 2012 he traveled to Puerto Rico where he studied both the country’s traditional music and it’s popular music. In 2013 and 2014 Daniel traveled with The La Tortuga Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to provide health education and medical assistance to the community and surrounding areas of Emiliano Zapata, Mexico, where he taught various rhythms to the young children of the village.
In addition to performing, Daniel Eastwood remains an active percussion educator. Daniel is a member of the Cavaliers Indoor Percussion Staff and is currently the percussion instructor at Vero Voce School of Performing Arts and Wheaton-Warrenville South High School. Additionally, he has worked with many high schools in Illinois including William Fremd High School, Normal Community High School, Bolingbrook High School, Kaneland High School, and El Paso-Gridley High School, St. Charles North High School and Elgin High School.
Eastwood holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Northern Illinois University where he studied with Dr. Greg Beyer, Dr. Richard Holly, Professor Robert Chappell, and Professor Michael Mixtacki. During his time at Northern Illinois University, he performed with The Latin Jazz Ensemble, Philharmonic, Wind Ensemble, Steel Band, Berimbau Sextet, Chinese Music Ensemble, Afro-Cuban Drumming Group, Marching Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Jazz Combo. Daniel was also a percussion instructor for the NIU Community School of the Arts.