Dan Garvin

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Dan Garvin is a drummer and one of the four founding members of the rock band SR-71 (band), formerly signed to RCA Records. The band scored a #2 hit in 2001 with “Right Now,” the first single from their major-label debut, Now You See Inside. The other original members were Mitch Allan, who is still with the band, Jeff Reid, and Mark Beauchemin.

Dan joined Honor Among Thieves, which would evolve into SR-71, in 1995 after completing his Bachelor’s Degree in music from Towson University just outside of Baltimore, Maryland. With occasional personnel changes, Dan and founder Mitch Allan were the only band members to remain for the entire 5-year period prior to signing a recording contract with RCA Records. However, the final line-up brought the other two founding members, Jeff Reid and Mark Beauchemin, back into the fold.

While Honor Among Thieves was performing over 100 times per year and spending a lot of time in the studio honing their sound, Dan also built a successful teaching practice. Nights on which the band was not performing one could often find Dan performing with jazz groups around the Baltimore/DC area.

SR-71’s signing with RCA Records in 1999 meant a change of direction for Dan, as the demands of the band became full-time. After completing the recording of Now You See Inside Dan took a hiatus from teaching over the next two years, as the success of “Right Now” meant constant touring. Dan signed on as an endorser with Vic Firth, Inc (a leading drumstick manufacturer), Sabian Cymbals, and Pearl Drums. “Right Now” propelled Now You See Inside to over a half-million sales, earning the band a gold record.

Dan left the group in April of 2001. From there he joined the band ninedays in support of their record, The Madding Crowd, while their original drummer took a personal leave of absence. Upon completion of the tour Dan returned to his teaching practice and became a performance clinician and session musician. He also spent time the Virginia/DC-based band that would become Getaway Car, recording and performing throughout Maryland, DC, and Virginia. He also performed in a wider array of musical opportunities, including pop, folk, zydeco/second-line, and jazz. While not credited, his performance on the updated version of “Non-Toxic” appears on SR-71’s follow-up recording, Tomorrow. After the release of Tomorrow, SR-71’s internal tensions continued and soon Mitch Allan was the only remaining original band member upon Jeff Reid’s and Mark Beauchemin’s departure. The band was dropped by RCA records in 2003.

Dan has also authored a number of articles, some of which have appeared in Modern Drummer Magazine and Vic Firth, Inc’s popular drumming website, www.vicfirth.com. He continues to teach and perform and has relocated from Baltimore to the Cincinnati area, where he currently lives with his wife and daughter. He still teaches his students to rock it out.