Dr. Daniel Fister earned his PhD in musicology from Washington University in St. Louis in 2022 as well as a Bachelors degree in music from Chapman University in 2014. In his doctoral dissertation, he explored the links between community formation and race, especially whiteness, in contemporary scholastic a cappella using interviews with performers, judges, and producers. Since he graduated, he has become an adjunct college professor in the Bay Area. He previously was an editorial assistant for the journal American Music from 2019 to 2022.
Before his life as an academic, Daniel directed, sang, and arranged for Wilsonville High School's Soul'd Out, leading them to the 2010 ICHSA Finals. He went on to participate just as actively in Chapman University's SoundCheck, with whom he competed regularly in ICCA and directed the production of their debut album, Everything (2012). Daniel remains involved in a cappella as a judge for Varsity Vocals and other a cappella events, a masterclass teacher including at Boston Sings (BOSS), a concert attendee, and a music streaming consumer. He loves when a cappella groups emote to the back to the auditorium and surprise him with dynamics and tone color. Since moving to the Bay Area, he sings with and is the Associate Director of the Silicon Valley Gay Men's Chorus, for whom he directs the ensemble's small group, Desperate Measures.
When not grading papers, he practices yoga, cooks as much as he can, and wishes he hiked more.
48 total reviews (23 albums and 25 singles)
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