Meet Daniel Hirtz

I was lucky to be born into a family of art and music lovers. My parents started me on the piano early. Not any different than most children, I was not enthused about the need for practice, however, I loved the instrument. A gifted teacher opened the doors for me to deepen my passion, so when I had a serious accident at the age of thirteen, it was not only the loss of three of my fingers but also my dream to become a professional musician that shattered me.

Of course, my family rallied around me and offered all kinds of means of support, cheering up, and distraction. It was my beloved grandmother’s effort that made the most lasting impact on me. She introduced me to breathing exercises that she deemed helpful for my emotional healing. Little did she know that she started me on a lifelong journey – a journey that started slowly with some talking, some trying of this and that, and a little understanding of the effects of conscious breathing. My second passion began inconspicuously.

I attended a Waldorf school for 12 years which fosters, among other things, love for the arts and self-awareness. This environment allowed me I to continue to feel how making music was an inseparable part of myself, however difficult that was. Music was also omnipresent in our family. My grandma played the piano (I had played four hand pieces with her prior to my accident). My father filled our house with jazz and took me to concerts. My mom, who loved classical music, played the violin, the cello and flute, and my brother the guitar. It was part of my inner make-up to create music. But, even if I found an instrument I could play with seven fingers, was it possible to reach some level of mastery and become a performer – virtuosity probably being impossible? How important was mastery in music? Was there another musical goal for me than performing?

As a young adult, I found the tabla, a North Indian percussion instrument, consisting of two hand drums played independently with each hand. I fell in love with it and shortly thereafter also found a teacher. Traditional instruction of tabla is stringent and challenging as it is a very complex instrument. I started late, nevertheless very excitedly, and also thankful for my teacher for his willingness to see my musicality and desire first, and my handicap only second. 

Practicing tabla became an integral part of my life. Eager to catch up, I learned to enhance my practice with conscious breathing. As a rhythm instrument, the tabla opened new dimensions for me. During this time, I began experimenting with rhythmical breathing. I became very curious to learn more about breathing. I sought out several teachers and completed different certificate programs. I began to teach classes and give single sessions for Conscious Breathing.

Studying Religious Philosophy under Professor Arnold Keyserling at the Academy of Arts in Vienna, Austria, helped me place my personal experience of Rhythm and Breath in a bigger context. Professor Keyserling taught an all-encompassing understanding of life including various modalities like music and body awareness. I became part of the inner circle of his students and began my first teachings of Rhythm and Breath within this group.  I was the designated music teacher in his course called “Maieutik” (see book)

Simultaneously, I pursued my career as a performing artist as a founder and member of the multicultural percussion group Angklung. My experience on stage inspired me to hold large events called Breath and Music Celebrations where a percussion band, trained by me, supported the collective experience of larger groups of people breathing together. A highlight was for me when three of my Breathing Teachers, Guenther Griebl, Jim Leonard, and Dyana Yogi participated in the same Breath and Music Celebration in 1988 in Vienna.

Conscious breathing, making music, and the study of consciousness and energy were the three interests that drove my personal development and professional goals until a big move shifted some of my priorities.

After I moved to the United States, I added professional experiences in other industries. Together, my wife and I created two successful businesses – first an international network marketing company, then a vegan meal service. We owned each of them for over ten years.  

However, From the very rewarding experience of teaching Tabla to young children for over twenty years to teaching the basics of Conscious Breathing to students at a massage school, to working with neurodivergent children using drumming, to developing drum classes that help total beginners progress rapidly, to forming a new concept of how drum circles work, to refining my work with individual clients teaching Conscious Breathing, to designing classes around the connection od Breath, Music, and Energy, to creating a workshop experience designed to make our energetic connection tangible, I have been fortunate to explore how can I both be of most service to my clients while I learn and expand my consciousness. 

I felt the greatest sense of accomplishment when I launched “Breathe For Peace”: a piece of musical art that synthesizes different modalities – music, the rhythmical breathing of over 200 people in 10 distinctly different pieces, and meditation.