Meet Dan Chandonnet (aka Chando) | DJ/Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Chandonnet (aka Chando) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My business sort of just started organically as I continued my journey pursuing music and creating in my spare time. My musical journey started as a small child when I started taking piano lessons around 8 years old. Next, I learned the trumpet and played in the symphonic band, jazz band, marching band and brass ensemble from middle school through high school. Fast forward a couple of years to college where I joined my first band, Stalactites, and I think this this is where the music turned to business began in its very early stages. We were lucky enough to get some of our first gigs at the local dive bar, Mac’s Bar, in East Lansing and perform in front of our friends and loved ones to which we had sold tickets to. It took years and years and several different bands/projects to get to the point where I am today in terms of music as a business. I still feel very much connected to the creative spirit in performing, curating and creating the tunes for whatever event I’m working, but it’s refreshing knowing that people trust me to bring the right kind of sound and vibe.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been a multi-instrumentalist for most of my life playing the piano, trumpet, guitar and a number of other instruments at various levels of skill levels, but the piano has always been my main instrument. I started to produce electronic music back in 2009 when I purchased my first synthesizer, the microKORG, and released my first official album in August of 2010. The journey from this experimental time to where I am today was definitely a long road, but I was always learning along the way. I’ve been a part of a number of different bands, helped produce and record several albums of my own and for other friends’ projects and eventually transitioned into the world of DJing, which is strangely what lead me to find music as a business.
I had taken on a couple of DJ gigs from friends who needed music at various events starting around 2016-2017, but didn’t really take the idea of becoming a DJ seriously until around the time of the pandemic. As the world shut down and livestreaming on the internet started to take over, I found myself connecting with like minded individuals on the streaming platform Twitch which lead me to start building and curating my own specific library of music which is where my “brand” of music, so to speak, really started to take shape. I helped host a weekly event called Holotropic Happy hour, which was the brainchild of Bluetech, an artist who I was a longtime fan of and who I now call a friend, that bought together a community of musicians and music lovers alike each week while live music was on pause. One of the co-hosts of this event, who I had never met before, but now consider a dear friend as well, DJ Maggie, helped mentor me in many ways and give me advice/support as I began my journey becoming a better DJ. Being able to practice my craft in the digital world of livestreaming helped give me the confidence and provided me with countless lessons as I slowly started to hone in on my sound and become a better track selector.
Once the world slowly started to open back up, I was suddenly and luckily offered gigs to play and this is truly when playing music for me started to transition into a business. I’ve been running with it ever since! The quote, “It’s always darkest just before dawn” is the best way to summarize this whole experience. Keep your head up and keep pushing on. Things will get better you just have to look for the light sometimes.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Red Rocks would be at the top of my list! It’s absolutely incredible to have a world class venue in your own backyard and as a live music enthusiast, I think everyone should see at least one show there. Next, we’d head west on I-70 and take in the mountain scenery. A quick stop at Loveland pass to take in the views of the continental divide at nearly 12,000ft and then onward toward Silverthorne to bask in the beauty of the Dillion Reservoir. Next, we’d continue onto Frisco to catch a drink and delicious bite at Outer Range brewery. We’d continue our journey by heading to Cottonwood Hot Springs for a relaxing soak along the river side, just west of Buena Vista. From there, the world would by our oyster. There are so many great places to see in Colorado and we’d be positioned well to see A LOT of them in realtively short drive. From there we’d just wing it. Variety is the spice of life!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, my mom for “forcing” me to take piano lessons as a small child, it’s undoubtedly the best thing I’ve ever been forced to do, and am forever grateful for being immersed in music at such a young age. My dad definitely deserves some credit too as he was an avid guitar player while I was growing up as a child. Being surrounded by music and encouraged to perform and pursue music at a young age definitely had a huge impact on the trajectory of my life. Last but not least, Mrs. Schwartz, my piano teacher as a young child and Mr. Gillette my band director from middle school through high school. They both instilled the discipline required to become a proficient musician.

Website: https://chandomusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Chandomusic/

Twitter: https://x.com/Chandomusic

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/chandomusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chandomusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/Chandomusic

Other: https://linktr.ee/chandomusic
https://chandomusic.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Katy Jo Caringer
David Digioia
Adam Fagundo
Nick Guzzo