DANIEL EASTWOOD is a versatile percussionist and music educator. He prides himself in maintaining a wide range of musical knowledge from traditional to contemporary music spanning the world.
Eastwood is a co-founder of Project Two, 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.
Daniel has performed with a variety of ensembles including KANSAS, The Elgin Symphony Orchestra, The Illinois Philharmonic, The Fox Valley Orchestra, and the 2008 and 2009 World Champion Indoor Percussion Ensemble, Pioneer Indoor, Eastwood has shared programs with ensembles such as Third Coast Percussion, Eighth Blackbird, YarnWire, Fleetwood Mac, xBishopx, and Magic!. As an active percussionist, he has presented music to audiences at such venues as The Juilliard School, Boston Conservatory, National Sawdust, Millennium Park, House of Blues Chicago, The Museum of Contemporary Arts in Chicago, Soldier Field, The United Center, Northern Illinois University, Eastern Illinois University, Bowling Green State University, The Lynden Sculpture Garden, and featured 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 the summer of 2015 he traveled to Brazil to showcase a program of twelve new works with the contemporary Berimbau sextet Projecto Arcomusical. Eastwood’s experience also led him to travel to Puerto Rico in 2012 where he studied both the country’s traditional music and its 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. Eastwood is currently on staff with the world class ensemble, Cavaliers Indoor Percussion. 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. Daniel is currently the percussion instructor at Plainfield North High School and Wheaton-Warrenville South 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.
