From the age of three, music was a passion and something that just came naturally to Daniel Graham, House Ear Institute’s Executive Vice President Development, Marketing, & Communications. Listening to music on the radio he started picking out the tunes and his musical vocation took off from there.

A student of Leon Fleisher, Nadia Reisenberg and Donald Currier, Dan’s international career in piano performance has taken him to the major music centers in the United States and Europe. Along the way Dan learned how to negotiate contracts, create a marketing campaign, and facilitate the manufacturing, distribution and sale of recordings. He even raised funds to support his career objectives.

Hearing is incredibly important to musicians, but many of them also take it for granted. Working for HEI has helped Dan to understand the interaction between the auditory system and the brain in processing information. “It’s been a fascinating learning opportunity and very rewarding for me to better understand the science behind the listening experience,” he stated.

Dan explained that when we listen to a performance, we don’t think about the intricate, complex elements that are inherent in the music. It’s the job of the performer to project all those coloristic properties that translate as an enjoyable experience to the listener. However, all those details of preparation are important and ultimately influence what we hear.

For example, take a student who is preparing a Beethoven piano sonata for their lesson. The student makes certain interpretive decisions that affect dynamics and tonal color, based on the unique instrument in a particular practice studio. When they perform the sonata for their teacher, they try to duplicate everything that they have worked to achieve. However, many things have changed that will affect their performance and the teacher’s evaluation: The piano is not the same piano that was used in preparing the lesson and the acoustics in the room are different. These may cause a very different effect from what was intended.

In the same way, each individual’s auditory system and brain are unique and information received is interpreted differently. Some individuals may have a hearing loss and not even be aware of it. Others may use hearing aids, so they are actually hearing amplified sound, something performers don’t factor in when they prepare for concerts. Where you sit in the hall also may alter your perception. By the time the sound reaches the brain and everything is sorted out, your previous recollections of how that piece was played by another artist could even affect your opinions.

“Working at the Institute has made me acutely aware of many similar issues. Here I’m often in direct contact with individuals who experience various degrees of hearing problems and it’s made me more sensitive to people who have to live with hearing health issues every day,” he stated. Dan holds a doctorate degree from Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, a master’s from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. He has been a member of the executive management team at the Institute since 2001.