Dan Kanter facts for kids

Daniel Joseph Kanter (born June 10, 1981) is a talented Canadian musician. He plays many instruments and helps artists with their music. Dan is a musical director, a coach, and a songwriter. He has helped create many hit songs.

He is best known as the musical director and former lead guitarist for Justin Bieber. Dan helped write and produce "Be Alright" on Bieber's album Believe. He also co-produced Bieber's albums My Worlds Acoustic and Believe Acoustic.

Dan has worked with many famous artists. These include Stevie Wonder, Miley Cyrus, Shawn Mendes, and Ariana Grande. He was also a judge on TV shows like The Next Star and Searchlight. Today, he hosts the CBC show Guitars In Hand with Dan Kanter.

Early Years

Dan Kanter was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He started learning music at a young age. He played piano, drums, and guitar. When he was 13, he appeared on a TV show called Leaps And Bounds.

At 14, Dan began playing in clubs with his band, Hubris. This was in his hometown of Ottawa. While in high school, he helped write a musical. It was called "Destiny: The Musical".

Later, Dan moved to Toronto. He studied classical music at York University. There, he played bass in a local band called Avenue Road. He earned a degree in music in 2007.

Career

Working with Justin Bieber

In 2010, Dan helped produce Justin Bieber's album My Worlds Acoustic. He also appeared in the 2011 3-D concert movie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. This movie became very successful.

Dan co-wrote and produced the song "Be Alright". This song was on Bieber's albums Believe (2012) and Believe Acoustic (2013). In 2013, Dan was also in the concert film Justin Bieber's Believe.

He helped produce an acoustic version of "What Do You Mean?". This song was on Bieber's album Purpose. Dan also worked on the song "Hard To Face Reality" in 2018.

Other Accomplishments

Dan was a judge on the YTV singing show The Next Star. He has performed on Saturday Night Live twice. He also co-wrote the song "ABC" for Cody Simpson.

In 2017, Dan directed performances for Logic, Khalid, and Alessia Cara. They performed their song "1-800-273-8255" at big events. These included the MTV Video Music Awards and the Grammy Awards.

Dan was a judge on the CBC show "Searchlight". He now hosts the CBC show "Guitars In Hand with Dan Kanter". He also co-wrote "Infra-Red" for Three Days Grace. This song became a number one hit.

In 2020, Dan worked with many Canadian artists. They covered the song "Lean On Me". This project raised money for the Canadian Red Cross. It helped with their COVID-19 efforts.

Influences

Dan grew up in a very musical family. His father loved Bob Dylan. He also directed many musicals, like The Who's Tommy and Les Misérables.

Dan says his biggest musical influences are Michael Jackson, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan. He also likes bands from the grunge era. These include Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

For guitar, Dan looks up to Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.

Personal Life

In October 2010, Dan Kanter married Yael Latner. Justin Bieber performed at their wedding. Dan has mentioned on Twitter that he enjoys trying new foods.