Dan Keen

Biography

Energetic, personable and eclectic, Belmont University’s Presidential Faculty Achievement finalist, Dan Keen has enjoyed a multi-faceted career in Nashville's music industry. While Dan was a Vice-President with the American Society of Authors Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) he facilitated dominate market share in his areas of responsibility and received ASCAP's Award of Excellence. Some of his ASCAP signings include award-winning rock band Paramore, RCA country superstar Chris Young, ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year Ashley Gorley, writers of 2 different ASCAP Songs Of The Year, Rivers Rutherford and Rachel Thibodeau, #1 writer Kyle Jacobs, bluegrass icons Nickel Creek and Cherryholmes and Dove Award-winning artists Mercy Me, Brandon Heath and Francesca Battistelli.

As a publisher he has award-winning stints at Meadowgreen Music (Sony) and Sparrow (EMI) Publishing to his credit. His songwriting has resulted in an ASCAP Award, a #1 Christian song and songs on Grammy-nominated albums. He has also recorded two albums as an artist. After serving on Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business Board of Advisors, Keen was appointed to the faculty at Belmont University in 2010 and has been nominated for the Chaney Distinguished Professor Award. He received his Masters Degree (M.Ed.) there in 2007 and was inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society of Education. Dan is well known for weaving his faith journey into his class discussions. He has served as Secretary and Director of the Gospel Music Association's Board of Directors and as the Chairman of the GMA Academy Council. Dan recently completed a productive stint as a Director and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). He’s been a member of the CMA, NARAS, IBMA, GMA, ACM, and is an alumnus of Leadership Music and Leadership Bluegrass. Dan’s love for the classroom at Belmont – which he describes as his “dream gig” combined with his deep knowledge of the music business has made him one of the “go to” faculty members for students interested in the music industry. One of Dan’s students put it best, “Mr. Keen is the perfect face of Belmont: he has been here, there and everywhere.”

On an important side note, while Dan himself was a high school student in Colorado, he was inducted into the Denver Post Hall Of Fame for his part in thwarting an attempted rape and apprehending the assailant. Dan lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife and children where they own Advantage Talent Development, a premiere Modeling and Acting school.