Dan was born "up east" to Leslie P. and M. Louise Zarnstorff. He won awards for playing trombone in highschool and college orchestras. when much older, Dan joined a very innovative band in Memphis, Tennessee, Mudboy and the Neutrons, with whom he learned to play the washtub bass. What may seem a clownish instrument at first glance, Dan took quite seriously, and approached scientifically. He told me that it is necessary to search far and wide for a tub with just the right characteristics, and once adapted, it is important not to let anyone "spring" the tub by overstressing it. Washtub bass became very popular in old time string bands, which often used such improvised instruments. When asked why he chose the washtub bass, Dan said that his experience with the trombone transferred to an extent, in that the pitch on the trombone is determined precisely by carefully learning the right extention of the slide. The pitch of the washtub is similarly determined by the position of the stick (often a mop handle or broomstick) which stretches the string.

Dan was a man of many parts. He was a graphic artist, painting both fine art and commercial signs; photographer, videographer, screen print artist. He was a member of the stage hands' union, starting out just humping equipment with everyone else, but when his experience/knowledge/skills were recognized, Dan ran the lighting board for the Memphis production of the "Lion King.". He operated the website The Memphis Catalog at MemphisCatalog.com, for Memphis artists of several genres. Dan had done some movie production, and several of his friends knew of and participated in the making of two feature-length movies, which he was seeking distribution for when he became ill. Cancer of the throat and tongue is what truncated the life of this multi-talented man.