Daniel Chávez

Bitter Jester Music Festival Judge

Juan Daniel Chavez (born September 15, 1993 - Guadalajara, MX) is a Mexican-American musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, educator and founder/ CEO of PCCCArts (est. 2020), a non-profit organization that provides art & STEAM opportunities to students in under resourced communities across Chicago. Having 15 years experience in the entertainment industry, his formal career spans nearly 7 years working with musicians and artists from all around the world and across genres. Check out his website here.

At an early age, Daniel developed a love for 80’s Regional Mexicano and Top 40 Latin Hits such as “Como La Flor” by Selena; burning his parents and tios' cassette tapes to CDs to accommodate the new era of music consumption. At the age of 10, he picked up the clarinet, trumpet, and saxophone and played in his school's concert band hoping to one day play in a Mexican banda. After school, Daniel participated in sports, social dancing and in the Oregon Coast Lab Band, a local non-profit with a mission to preserve jazz, America's musical legacy through education and performance. He continued to learn, record, and tour across the west coast with the lab band throughout high school, gaining valuable experience in the music industry.

Daniel went on to graduate high school with honors and received a full-ride scholarship to attend the Oregon Center for the Arts at SOU where he studied under the mentorship of midwesterner, Rhett Bender. During his time there, he helped build the university’s developing jazz & pep band programs, student taught elementary school to college age students, participated in and wrote for multiple collegiate ensembles, and was a part of a foreign exchange program to South Korea. Outside of school, Daniel was performing with artists such as Morgan James with the Britt Festival Orchestra and was a part of the world premiere of “Natural History - Symphony for Nature'' on PBS. Daniel graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in music education w/ an emphasis on classical music in 2016.

Following graduation, he recorded his first album as a leader, “Chillin’ with the Daniel Chavez Quartet” featuring Tony Hayes. This 5 song album features Daniel Chavez on Tenor saxophone, Brandon Crafts on Guitar, Garret Baxter on Bass, Jake Riggs on Drums, and guest appearance by Tony Hayes on Tenor saxophone.

Daniel then signed with Lime Entertainment, an agency that booked him to play and entertain on Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Cruise Lines, backing up comedians, dancers, and musical artists such as 90’s icon Deborah Cox. Throughout his time with Lime Entertainment, Daniel played on 7 cruise ships across fleets and traveled to more than 30 countries, working and connecting with people from over 100 nations.

After two and a half years traveling at sea, Daniel sought to be more grounded and closer to family. He moved to Los Angeles for a brief moment when he quickly realized he was looking for something different. Daniel took a trip to Chicago in the Fall of 2018 where he was swept up by the Windy City and has been planting roots ever since. He now resides in the Pilsen neighborhood with his wife.

While in Chicago, Daniel has collaborated as a side man with a broad array of artists in genres such as Regional Mexicano, Blues, Jazz, Latin, Pop, Hip Hop, and Soul; given Chicago's diverse music scene. He has recorded, written, and performed with artists such as ‘The Voice’ runner-up Katie Kadan, Marca MP with Banda Estrategia, and Herman Olivera with the GFC International All-Star Big Band to name a few.

As a leader and community organizer, Daniel is the founder, CEO and a mentor at The People's Center for Cultural & Contemporary Arts. The non-profit arts organization provides art and STEAM opportunities to students in under-resourced communities across Chicago by partnering with schools and community centered organizations. PCCCArts’ mission is to prepare the innovators of tomorrow through the guided exploration of cultural and contemporary arts and provide professional development to equip students in making relevant connections to their personal and career goals. Daniel believes that the arts are a vehicle for celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion, creating sustainable connections to community and networks that afford greater opportunities.

Daniel’s inspiration as an educator and musical artist stems from his learnings through his mentors who instilled values in him such as love, respect, exploration, creativity, education, and hard work. His parents, who he immigrated with from Mexico at the age of 2, are whom he gives most credit to. “My parents sacrificed alot for me and my sisters to be able to grow up in the USA. From an early age, they encouraged us to follow our dreams and passions. They showed us what investing in love, hard work and a good education could do to connect us with opportunities that we otherwise wouldn't have had. Because of them, I am able to spread joy and bring people together through my music as well as educate and connect students with their own values and networks to afford greater opportunities.”

Throughout his career, Daniel hopes to continue to connect diverse people through music, arts and education by expanding his outreach across the USA and eventually the world where resources are needed. As for his next project, Daniel is currently working on, “Save the B’s! - Ballads, Boleros, Bossas & the Blues'', an original album which features a recollection of works written since his time in Chicago and inspired by his travels and musical influences blending European Classical, Latin American, Jazz, Blues, and World Music all into one easy listening musical work. Through this album, Daniel also hopes to raise awareness on bee health and sustainable solutions for our agricultural ecosystem by donating 10% of album proceeds to local nonprofits.