Dan Wessels

Music Producer | Orchestrating Sound from Concept to Final Mix | 18 Years of Experience Enhancing Stories with Music

Los Angeles, California, United States

About

I'm a Music Producer who brings creative visions to life. I don't just manage the music team's workflow; I'm deeply involved in the entire music creation process: mapping out song structures, coaching vocalists in the studio, developing a vision for the sound of a score, quality-checking every melody and lyric before it gets animated. I serve as the central point of contact between directors, showrunners, composers, audio engineers, and all stakeholders, ensuring that the final product not only hits its deadlines but also pushes creative boundaries and meets the highest artistic standards. Strong skills in music composition, piano performance, and Improvisation. I've performed both a soloist and as a conductor leading musical ensembles, and my compositions have been performed on tour around the world.

Experience

  • Music Executive, "Cocomelon Lane" at Moonbug Entertainment
    Jun 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 1 mo

    - Manage the workflow of the audio team and composers - Ensure audio deliverables remain on time and on track - Serve as a liaison between the audio team, creative team, the production pipeline, and any external or internal stakeholders. - Provide all notes with stakeholders to ensure next steps and actionables are completed by the necessary audio team members in a timely fashion. - Traffic out deliveries to the necessary stakeholders. - Ensure to communicate any roadblocks or issues that may arise with the line manager. - Provide clear communication to the audio engineers and the composers of any notes for revisions and changes to make the music, lyrics, guide vocals and SFX. - Quality check/cross check the music, lyrics, guide vocals and SFX. (Including word pronunciation of the lyrics in the guide vocal, complexity of a melody, pacing of a melody and emotional elements of a composition, quality of SFX for characters, placement or use of other SFX throughout episodes) - Work with the production department to coordinate and schedule voice talents recording sessions. Oversee and coach vocalists during the recording sessions. - Relay the story with the composer and help map out the structure of songs, including interludes, transitions, verses, choruses, intros and outros.

  • Piano Teacher at RHODES SCHOOL OF MUSIC, LLC
    May 2021 - May 2022 · 1 yr 1 mo

    Teach weekly private piano lessons to students ages 5-40 Customized lessons to each students’ needs and musical taste

  • Associate Music Director & Accompanist at American Academy of Dramatic Arts-Los Angeles
    Aug 2016 - May 2022 · 5 yrs 10 mos

    Produce and mix music for theatrical shows and filmed material, edit solo video footage to create virtual choir videos for online shows Facilitate remote classes and rehearsals over Zoom. Create all digital assets for remote shows and classes. Assets include: tempo-mapped backing accompaniment tracks, digital recordings that teach students their melodies and harmonies, and digital sheet music. Organize digital assets and keep track of recipients using Excel, and distribute these assets using Dropbox and Google Drive Accompany actors in performance and classroom exercises, teach songs to actors, sight-read accompaniment for auditions, lead classes in vocal warm-ups

  • Piano Teacher at Self-Employed
    Jan 2013 - May 2022 · 9 yrs 5 mos

    Teach weekly private piano lessons to students ages 5-40 Emphasis on teaching the basics of melody, harmony, rhythm, and ear training through original examples and pieces, supplemented by solo piano arrangements I make of songs that each student wants to learn.

  • Music Director at Story Pirates
    Sep 2012 - May 2022 · 9 yrs 9 mos

    Play piano with an acting troupe that tours to schools performing plays that were adapted from stories written by kids. Responsibilities include: composing and performing original underscore for each play, writing and performing original songs based on stories submitted to us, rehearsal, vocal health of the cast.