Danielle Walker was born in California, but was raised in Brunswick, Georgia, from age 6 until she was accepted into college at age 18. She had a very strong interest in music, in particular a desire to play the saxophone. This desire led her to begin her love for music by playing the alto saxophone at age 11 after signing up to be in the band class in middle school. She continued her involvement in band through middle school and into high school where she discovered the baritone saxophone. She performed in the marching and symphonic bands, as well as jazz band. While in high school it was an honor to be asked to play with The Jekyll Island Big Band at age 16, the youngest and only female musician in the group on most occasions.
After graduating from Glynn Academy High School, Danielle attended college at Andrew College in Cuthbert, Georgia. She learned a great deal in music here, but she had a thirst for more in the music education field. After making a trip to Brevard College in North Carolina, Danielle knew this was where she wanted to receive her degree. She was accepted to Brevard College where she studied classical and jazz music. It was there that she found her real joy in music performing in everything from jazz band, combo, symphonic winds, woodwind ensemble, and saxophone quartet and rock bands. In 1998, as a sophomore in college, she was featured on the baritone sax with the Brevard College Summer Jazz Workshop Faculty Band, presenting the music of the Miles Davis Nonet. The band opened up for The Three Baritone Saxophone Band and was featured on National Public Radio hosted by Branford Marsalis.
Danielle studied abroad in Altmünster, Austria in 1999, studying German as well as participating in the local Musik Kapelle called Marktmusikverein Altmünster. Upon her return to Brevard in 2000, after a three month stay in Austria, she also performed in the Brevard College Saxophone Quartet premiered “Variation’s of John Henry” by Dr. Paul Elwood at the 12th World Saxophone Congress in Montreal, Quebec.
Once graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from Brevard College, Danielle moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where she was consistently involved with playing in organized jazz, rock and funk bands between North Carolina, Greenville and South Carolina.
In September of 2004, Danielle joined the cast of The Historic Savannah Theatre in Savannah, Georgia, performing on soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, bass clarinet, flute, auxiliary percussion and vocals. Her career continues on today at the Savannah Theatre, along with the cast, performing over 250 shows a year at the oldest continually running theatre in the country. Danielle has performed in over 4,000 shows in the 14 years she has been at the Savannah Theatre.
Shows performed included Les Miserables, Grease, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Little Shop of Horrors, Jukebox Journey, Return to the 50’s, Broadway on Bull St., Savannah Live, All You Need Is Love, Hooray for Hollywood, The Beat Goes On, Harmonix, Piano Men (where she also performed a rendition of Carole King), and the Christmas Tradition. Danielle is a Rovner Ambassador, Legere Reeds Endorsing Artist and Sax Dakota Endorsing Artist. You can contact her at: [email protected]
Danielle endorses and plays Dakota model: SDA-XG 303 Antique Hand Burnished.
