# Danny Kastner > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Danny_Kastner > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Danny_Kastner.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Kastner > Source revision: 1351113368 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Danny Kastner** is an [American](/source/Americans) musician, composer, director, producer, and entrepreneur. Kastner is the founder of Minty Swirl Media, a music and interactive technology company. The company publishes and produces music for artist [Ryan McCartan](/source/Ryan_McCartan) as well several additional performer/songwriters.[1] Kastner has written and produced music for [Tkay Maidza](/source/Tkay_Maidza), Espa,[2] Kiah Victoria and others in collaboration with songwriter [Autumn Rowe](/source/Autumn_Rowe). He is producing and co-writing a project in 2023 with the artist, [Nellie McKay](/source/Nellie_McKay). Kastner is a professional keyboardist for the [Kiefer Sutherland](/source/Kiefer_Sutherland) band since July, 2015. He plays jazz piano in clubs around Los Angeles as a member of the band the Jazz Punks.[3] With their debut album, from May 2012 to July 2012, Jazz Punks spent seven weeks in the top four of the CMJ Jazz Radio charts, as well as holding the #1 position during this time.[4] Kastner is a Founding Partner & Creative Director of the Milt Olin Foundation, launching a global movement dedicated to ending distracted driving through the Stop Wrex campaign.[5] Kastner is a producer and co-founder of The Weather Report Legacy Project honoring the seminal jazz group [Weather Report](/source/Weather_Report), with Tony Zawinul, son of the late [Joe Zawinul](/source/Joe_Zawinul). He is producing the Weather Report documentary "This is This," directed by Tony Zawinul.[6] He drove the fan-centered campaign to raise $62,438 for the documentary on crowdfunding website, Indiegogo.[7] Kastner's been influential in multiple successful crowdfunding initiatives for artists.[8] Previously, Kastner was CEO of FanRocket, an internet digital content production company he founded in 2005.[9] He produced and directed video for numerous online projects and networks including Wonderglen for HBO,[10] Casual Fridays and HSN's, "Faces of Beautiful You."[11] FanRocket also created VooZoo, a movie sharing technology for Facebook, with [Paramount Pictures](/source/Paramount_Pictures).[12] Kastner has founded two internet start-ups driven by music and the arts, Music Interactive and POPstick.[13] At POPstick, Kastner created interactive animation marketing technology for Microsoft, IBM, Dell, among other technology firms. In 2004, Kastner launched POPstick Outburst and coined the term [social network marketing](/source/Social_network_marketing) as an approach towards brand marketing through social networks. He hired advertising executive, Steve Dworin, former chairman/CEO of NW Ayer as the president of the initiative.[14] Kastner appeared on the third season of NBC's *[The Apprentice](/source/The_Apprentice_(U.S._TV_series))* and was cast after submitting a video entitled "Apprentice the Musical" which was featured during the credits of episode 9.[15] After being "fired" by [Donald Trump](/source/Donald_Trump), Kastner, who holds a master's degree in [music composition](/source/Music_composition) from [Boston University](/source/Boston_University), wrote songs about his experience on the show. These, along with weekly musical recaps of each episode, were played on radio stations across the country.[16] Kastner was re-hired by Donald Trump in an episode of [Queer Eye](/source/Queer_Eye_(2003_TV_series)) that followed the Apprentice, in 2005, where Kastner organized a charity event for underprivileged children which won praise from Trump.[17] As a composer, Kastner is a two-time BMI Composition Award winner,[18] as well as a two-time ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award Recipient.[19] Kastner composed music for *[Padmé](/source/Padm%C3%A9_(film))*, the [fan film](/source/Fan_film) that won the George Lucas Selects Award in the [2008 Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge](/source/The_Official_Star_Wars_Fan_Film_Awards).[20] ## References 1. [Minty Swirl web site](http://mintyswirl.com/) 1. ["Espa."](https://soundcloud.com/espamusic). *SoundCloud*. Retrieved 2017-12-11. 1. [Jazz Punks web site](http://www.jazzpunks.com) 1. ["The Mint"](https://web.archive.org/web/20171212084226/http://themintla.com/artist.cfm?id=29541). *themintla.com*. Archived from [the original](http://themintla.com/artist.cfm?id=29541) on December 12, 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-11. 1. ["Milt Olin Foundation web site"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151215015856/http://miltolinfoundation.org/team/). Archived from [the original](http://miltolinfoundation.org/team/) on December 15, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2015. 1. [This is This web site](http://thisisthisfilm.com) 1. [Weather Report's Incredible Jazz Journey on Indiegogo](http://indiegogo.com/projects/weather-report-s-incredible-jazz-journey/) 1. [Backstage interview on crowdfunding with Danny Kastner](http://www.backstage.com/news/why-crowdfunding-doesnt-always-work/) 1. [PodcastDirectory interview bio](http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/1041198) 1. ["Wonderglen"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130925131530/http://wonderglen.com/). Archived from [the original](http://wonderglen.com/) on September 25, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2013. 1. [Faces of Beautiful You review](http://ladyspruce.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/hsn-faces-of-beautiful-you-is-awesome/) 1. ["Paramount making movie clips available as Facebook messages"](http://www.mercurynews.com/2008/03/09/paramount-making-movie-clips-available-as-facebook-messages/). *The Mercury News*. 2008-03-10. Retrieved 2017-12-11. 1. [POPstick BusinessWeek listing](https://web.archive.org/web/20120921074453/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=7917490) 1. [POPstick Tries 'Social Network Marketing'](http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/1716896/popstick-tries-social-network-marketing) 1. [Apprentice the Musical on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X63IJf0812Q) 1. ["Trump Tower Troubadour Danny Kastner to Release Recap Song for Episode Five of Hit Show The Apprentice This Friday"](http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-128844345.html)[dead link] 1. [Queer Eye TV Guide Listing – Danny Kastner](http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/queer-eye-2005/episode-11-season-3/danny-kastner-apprentice/191731) 1. [Daniel Kastner on BMI.COM](http://www.bmi.com/genres/detail/535120) 1. [Daniel Kastner on ASCAP.COM](http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/awards/foundation/awards/morton_gould.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100812103508/http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/awards/foundation/awards/morton_gould.html) August 12, 2010 at the Wayback Machine 1. [Danny Kastner](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1827374/) at IMDb ## External links - [socialTECH interview with Kastner, 1/30/07](https://web.archive.org/web/20110719235519/http://www.podfeed.net/episode/Interview+with+Danny+Kastner+FanRocket/514535) - [Danny Kastner](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1827374/) at IMDb --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Danny Kastner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Kastner) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Kastner?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.