Meet Dane Carten | Choral Conductor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dane Carten and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dane, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Since my youth I’ve felt a deep connection with artistic pursuits – I tried everything from drawing to dance, to instrumental music and singing as a kid. In my teenage years, it came to me that my life would be incomplete without a career in a creative art. This first started with my venture into metal, rock, and punk, as I was the frontman to a Hardcore Metal band stretching into my twenties. I toured with that group (Corrupt Within) and also joined a few post-hardcore, pop-punk, and rock bands, playing bass and contributing backing vocals. All those groups toured as well, but things slowed down as I began to finish my undergraduate degree and I focused on my role in the classroom and rehearsal space. My dedication to a life of creativity was fully cemented as I watched many of my friends and former bandmates go on to have their creativity become ancillary to their lives. I couldn’t see myself working a standard nine-to-five and then going home to sing, or song-write, or attend a rehearsal. The happiest moments (and, similarly, the most exhausting) in my life have been when I was wholly engrossed in music. After getting my Bachelor’s in Music Education, I found a home in the rehearsal space, and this has led to the pursuit of advanced degrees in conducting/composition and a career in the arts. Nowadays, all of my work is in conducting choirs, composing, or singing professionally, and I wouldn’t want it to be any other way, honestly.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have created an ensemble in Tucson, Arizona called the “Neoteric Chamber Choir”, a premiere vocal ensemble dedicated to the music of living composers. Neoteric consistently premieres new works from marginalized and underrepresented composers and engages in social activism within our community. I’m incredibly proud of everything we’ve done so far! The choir is made up of singers from the Tucson area, all of whom I excitedly call my closest friends and who are wonderful collaborators and musicians. The group started while I was working on my Master’s degree and continues to persist through my time working on the Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA). Starting a new choir has its set of challenges – the least of which is getting people to sing for it! We have grown and begun to work on a social media presence, a website, and we are currently applying to perform for regional conferences in our area.

Neoteric has taught me many things: that we bonds we form with the people around us are some of the most valuable things we attain. Activism through music is a powerful and tangible form of fundraising, and one that can have real, positive effects in our community. Finally, audiences are not only willing to come hear modern music – they will contribute to it as well! I have had many composers begin to reach out to me to have their music premiered or sung by my group, and that is quite the honor!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Tucson is a beautiful city, especially if you enjoy nature! Depending on the time of year, there are myriad hiking trails on nearby Mt. Lemmon, as well as the mystical Seven Falls hike through Sabino Canyon, just to name a few. For food, there are several authentic Mexican restaurants in South Tucson, and many great bars downtown such as the speakeasy Tough Luck Club and the jazz spot Club Congress. Speaking of Club Congress, the nearby hotel that shares the namesake is allegedly haunted, and you can attend 19th-century anachronistic seances on the upper floor! Hotel Congress also has a great patio for nightlife dancing, and there are many other great clubs downtown, like IBTs. For entertainment, you can catch a performance by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra most weekends at the Linda Ronstadt Performance Center, or if you prefer melodrama, there’s always the Gaslight Theatre.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
One of the most influential mentors of the last few years has been my professor at the University of Arizona for all of my graduate studies – Dr. Elizabeth Schauer. She’s been an outstanding model of professional behavior, an endless fount of encouragement, has helped me extensively in my conducting, and has given me myriad opportunities as a junior scholar to present and publish research!

Website: https://Neotericchamberchoir.com

Instagram: @Tehawesomedane

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@neotericchamberchoir5344

Image Credits
Elowyn DeMontigny, Matthew Dutczak