The Essence of Dan Bodanis
Family Man ~ Drummer ~ Photographer
Teacher ~ Bandleader ~ Giver
Dan never misses an opportunity to photo-bomb; he has so much Joie d’vivre that one can not help but be infected. I always feel better after having spent some time with him.
Dan - The Family Man
The Better Half Kelly!
Two incredible blessings round out the Bodanis Clan
The most heartfelt of speeches by Dan during a LUSO event -begins at the 8:03 mark
Meeting Dan has been one of the most recent forks on my journey. I’ve never had someone suddenly enter my life and make such a dramatic and immediate impact. Being with Dan can easily be described as trying to drink from a firehose. His positive energy transforms the dynamic of a room when he enters. He cares deeply about family, friends, community, and everyone he encounters. There is no such thing as a brief walk, a quick window shop, or a fast meal with Dan. He has an insatiable desire to understand the person he’s talking to; every individual Dan meets has a story that deserves to be heard.
His six words above are accurate to some degree; I would add to all of them the proviso that he missed mentioning he is indeed all those things, BUT ON STEROIDS!
After meeting Dan, my biggest takeaway was his extensive network—his Rolodex is larger than anyone I know. He not only knows a vast number of people but has also maintained close relationships with many of them for a long time. It’s not unusual for Dan to mention knowing someone from hockey, music, or finance for twenty or thirty years.
Dan is a devoted family man, and with his wife Kelly by his side, they make a dynamic duo. Their unconditional love for their sons, Sebastian and Sabian, is a sight to behold. Their story could fill this book on its own, but space limitations exist; otherwise, you would be holding a 500-page book.
Dan has introduced me to many individuals, several of whom are also featured in this book. This includes the publisher, Jude Pitman, who took a chance on me and published the book - Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives.
Dan - The Drummer
What has been your biggest challenge, and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge came disguised as pure, abject humiliation. In the summer of 1969, when I was 10 years old, my friend Mitch Chuvalo and I entered the laundromat on Dixon Rd and Islington to look for change in the coin machines. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any. As we were leaving, I noticed a community bulletin board featuring a handwritten note with six phone number tabs titled, “Drummer Wanted to Play in a Big Band!” I had been taking drum lessons since I was 5. Every Saturday, I sat beside the drummer in my father’s Macedonian wedding band, 'The Tommy Bodanis Orchestra.' I observed the drummer, learned all the Greek, Macedonian, and pop tunes, and constantly talked about drums with him. When my questions became excessive, he would send someone to the bar to fetch Cokes. Somehow, I thought that was all it took to be a drummer. I believed I was completely prepared! Oh boy, was I ever wrong!
Not only did I think I could ‘cut the gig,’ I “strategized” and resolved to eliminate the competition immediately – so I took the entire note, tucked it into my pocket, and walked out, intent on being the ONLY drummer to audition! That evening, at dinner, at my very ‘focused’ insistence, my father called the band leader and arranged for me to play at their next rehearsal - at Keillor McKay Secondary School, the following night at 7 pm.
We arrived at 6:45 pm, and my dad and I went to the music room, where a drum set awaited me, along with 18 lovely and encouraging adults. Then the conductor counted in the first tune, and I completely FROZE! The rest of the rehearsal went from bad to worse because even when I tried to play, I knew what the right things were, but I was just too nervous! Time and again—I FROZE! I simply couldn’t get past my overwhelming fears of reading music and playing with a band for the first time—an 18-piece big band—trying to follow the conductor and perform even the most essential tasks that a drummer needed to carry out in any band!
Fortunately, the conductor soon called for a break. He spoke privately with my dad, and when their conversation ended, my dad quietly said to me, "Grab your stick bag. Let’s go.” During the short car ride home, my dad didn’t say much. I think he understood how humiliated I felt, and he seemed quite embarrassed—not by my performance or lack thereof, but rather, he felt embarrassed for me... Does that make sense?
During my next drum lesson, my dad spoke with my teacher, Gabor. He explained what had happened, and together they devised a strategy to help me integrate all the drum lessons into some form of real performance experience over two years. They agreed that I needed to be gently ‘inserted’ into low-key, no-pressure performance situations, both with my dad’s and Gabor's bands. My dad played weddings on weekends, while Gabor played drums and sang seven nights a week at the Fisherman’s Wharf Night Club in Toronto.
My dad then gave me the fantastic opportunity to play one or two songs at the end of the night. Once or twice a week, Gabor would pick me up and have me sit beside him all night to watch him play. During his final set of music for the evening, Gabor would stand in front of the band and sing, then turn around and continuously swear at me while I played the drums. In the vernacular of the day, he would 'give me shit all the way home," often ending with some form of ominous threat—telling my dad to put the drums in his car and get his money back so I could just focus on playing hockey!
In the summer of 1971, at the age of 12, my dad took me to the head office of the Toronto Musicians’ Association, Local 149, where I was ’sworn in’ by the Executive Treasurer, Mr. Victor Bridgewater, as a professional drummer in our musician’s union. A week later, I performed my first full gig—a Macedonian wedding—at the old Seaway Towers, located at Lakeshore and Windermere in Toronto.
Nepotism? My dad might as well have invented the concept! If he didn’t invent ‘nepotism,’ he certainly perfected it! There was no way on earth that I—a 12-year-old kid with seven years of intense, high-pressure drum instruction, during which I was often hit and verbally abused at every lesson for any mistakes—should ever have shared a stage with Toronto’s top studio musicians. But from that first gig in the summer of 1971, my dad never hired another drummer, and I certainly gained all the experience I needed to conquer any fears whenever I picked up a pair of drumsticks!
Overcoming fear and humiliation was challenging, and it didn’t happen overnight. Thankfully, I persevered and conquered my fears and the embarrassment of my first big band drumming experience.
Dan - The Photographer
At some point, you reached a fork in the road. At that time, it didn’t feel like it, but looking back, you realize it was a big moment. One that changed your life. Describe yours.
There were a few forks and many different roads. One that stands out to me occurred in Grade 13 at Scarlett Heights Collegiate Institute (SHCI). At 18, I had played drums professionally for six years, and in addition to performing in my dad’s band, I had been doing high-level, well-paying studio work for two years.
A genuinely significant moment arrived when I secured an incredible opportunity to play drums for a Bulgarian piano virtuoso named Alex Kirov Zografov. From the very first time we played together, Alex and I developed a fantastic musical relationship. When he discovered that I could perform all the intricate odd-time signature ethnic music typical of Macedonian culture, he invited me to play drums on his upcoming album—an album of Bulgarian jazz-fusion music, all in odd time signatures featuring complex polyrhythms, metric modulation, and more!
That was the first true ‘immersive recording studio experience.’ Alex and I would start rehearsing at 9 a.m., and once we refined a song to the point where he felt it was ready to record, we did! Those days in his recording studio began at 9 a.m. sharp and often extended until midnight, with few breaks and little time to eat.
After the album was recorded, mixed, and mastered, Alex planned a trip to Hollywood, California, to have some record company executives hear his music, watch him perform, and, hopefully, secure a gig in the big leagues! When Alex shared his plans with me, I expressed that I wished I could go, and he asked me if I was serious. He thought it would be a fantastic idea for me to join him so I could play drums with him if the opportunity arose!
I was serious, so I asked my parents for permission. After that, I approached my excellent high school music teacher, Paul McKay (who played keyboards in my dad's band!), to request a month off to head to LA. Paul took me to see the Principal, Mr. Clendennan, and together, they permitted me because they believed the musical experience would offer far greater value than anything I would learn during my Grade 13 year in January. Alex and I both had New Year's Eve gigs at different hotels in Toronto. We met at my parents’ house at 3:00 am on January 1st and spent the next four days driving to California!
They were right—it was the most significant musical experience I could have ever imagined, culminating in a life-changing visit with the great trumpet player, arranger, composer, and big band leader, Don Ellis, in his studio while playing alongside him! Not only did Don listen to the music we had recorded, but he also invited Alex and me to perform some of our tracks in his legendary studio, joining in to play with us!
We stayed at a fantastic hotel near Hollywood and Vine, where one of the best drum stores in the world has been for years - The Professional Drum Shop! During our stay at the hotel, I frequently crossed the street to visit the store, check out drums, and chat with all the incredible drummers who came by. They thought it was ‘cool’ that a Canadian kid was in Hollywood doing what Alex and I were doing. I was drawn to the back room, home to a publishing company that published, marketed, and distributed every popular drum book of the day. Most importantly, they published drum books authored by all the great studio drummers in LA, which could only be found at the Professional Drum Shop.
One significant decision that resulted from my frequent visits to the back room changed my life. I purchased every drum book they had in stock—boxes overflowing with incredible drum books that, with my parent's permission and a fully loaded charge card, took me nearly four years to finish! Reviewing the hundreds of drum books I had shipped back from the Professional Drum Shop helped me become a remarkably proficient music reader. My teacher, Gabor, had already assisted me in becoming an excellent music reader. However, this wonderfully diverse collection of drum music, combined with my unwavering determination to master each book, allowed me to succeed as a studio musician.
What is one gem you learned on your journey that you would love to share?
Always believe in yourself. Stick with it! Stick to it! See it through! Never give up! You have everything within you to overcome the obstacles and challenges that life presents. How did I learn this? With each drum book I opened, I encountered different challenges. Thankfully, I had more than enough technical knowledge to teach myself every aspect of those drum books. The key quality that supported me—a relentless determination to complete, indeed, to master each book—stemmed from my committed dedication to personal development as a drummer, which I discovered was the essential ingredient within myself.
Although some believe that a single-minded, hyper-driven focus on achieving success through continual self-improvement is ultimately ‘over the top’ and completely “obsessive,” sometimes that is what it takes to reach whatever you consider essential. I acknowledge, however, that there is value in discovering what the term ‘balance’ means to you. For me, I have come to realize that relentlessly pushing myself to improve is a mindset and a way of life worth pursuing and embracing. What would I say to young Dan Bodanis? “Push yourself harder than anyone could ever push you and commit to constantly improving for life."
That said, at the young age of 65, I feel a bit more at ease about striving for ‘overnight success.’ After playing the drums professionally for 53 years, the Toronto Musicians' Association recently recognized and awarded me a ‘Life Membership Gold Card.’ Nevertheless, I practice at least 2-3 hours daily and 3-5 hours on weekends, even when I have a gig that evening! Looking back, I’ve lived a very driven life, always motivated to improve and succeed. Through real experiences, I realized this was a better alternative to the soul-crushing embarrassment I endured—pure, abject humiliation—during my first big band drumming experience in the summer of 1969 when I was just 10.
Fun Dan
The object of this game? Get the biggest single scoop at the ice cream shop.
No competition for seating when you go early.
Food Analysis by two foodies - just what is in that soup?
Dynamic Duo - Dan and Ken Choi
Some people will eat anything.
It's hard to tell that they’re having a good time. Dan and good friend Massimo.
Incredible connections. Keeping good company looks good on Dan.
And some people will keep just about any company.