Mr. Dainsberg and his three siblings grew up in a very active Christian home. Their father taught Sunday school at Benson Evangelical Free Church for 50 years and was chairman of the church, while their mother played the piano and organ. As for Dean, he accepted Jesus as his Savior at the age of 11 and soon began teaching a Sunday school class for elementary students in addition to participating in the youth group.
Dean was raised with the understanding that the man who submits himself to God’s guidance is the one who truly lives life to the fullest. (“He who is a slave to his compass has freedom of the seas.”) His life experiences, by God’s grace and to God’s glory, are a clear testimony of this fact.
As a young man, Dean demonstrated a particular aptitude for playing instruments and chose to specialize in the violin and trumpet. He was blessed to get teachers who were members of the Minnesota Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera. It didn’t take long for Dean to realize that orchestra music would be a lifelong passion.
Desiring to establish a strong Biblical foundation in his higher education, Mr. Dainsberg went to St. Paul Bible College after graduating from high school. He attended there for 2 years before going on to the University of Minnesota where he graduated with honors, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education. He then completed an additional year of graduate studies at U of M. During his time at university, he was asked by Wheaton College to perform in an ensemble as part of the “Greater European Missions” summer tour in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Naturally, he accepted…that year and the 2 years following. This was just the beginning of the musical journey God had in store for him.
Today Mr. Dainsberg has over 50 years’ experience in teaching private music lessons and 30 years’ experience teaching in the Alexandria school system (elementary, middle, and high school). He has served as an orchestra director/instructor for Golden Valley Lutheran College, Minnetonka High School, Alexandria Public Schools, and University of Minnesota Morris. He has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, Minneapolis Civic Orchestra, MacPhail’s School of Music Concert Orchestra, and the University of Minnesota Orchestra, and has worked under notable conductors such as Morton Gould, Dave Brubeck, and Stanislav Skroweczewski. He also worked with the Metropolitan Opera in Minnesota for 4 years.
Over the course of his music career, Mr. Dainsberg has received a slew of accolades including “Orchestra Teacher of the Year” and “Exemplary Program in Music Education” (Minnesota Music Education Association), the “2003 Education Award” in the Music Department (presented by the Chamber of Commerce in Alexandria), and an induction into the national “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.” He served as president of the American String Teachers Association (MN) and as vice president of the Minnesota Music Educators Association’s All State Orchestra. And his orchestras have been invited to perform at the annual Minnesota Music Education Association Midwinter Convention in Minneapolis on four different occasions. Most recently (for the past 4 years), he has worked as a string instrument repair specialist for Eckroth Music Company, servicing Minneapolis, Fargo, St. Cloud, Bismarck, and Minot.
With his music and his daily life, Mr. Dainsberg strives to be salt and light to those he encounters. The decision to volunteer at SJA is an outflow of his passion to see the flourishing of faith-based education focused on God’s unchanging truth. (Heb. 13:8) He believes that, in light of current culture and in obedience to God’s command, Christians should be fighting for the souls of children and grounding them in God’s Word. (Ps. 119:105)
One of Mr. Dainsberg’s favorite passages is Colossians 1:9-14 – “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
In addition to playing music, Mr. Dainsberg enjoys wooden boat restoration, string instrument repair, teaching sailing lessons, and writing piano arrangements.
Dean has been watching the Brooklyn Tabernacle weekly services since 2020. Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, he attended Alexandria Covenant Church (for 40 years ) where he was active in musical activities.
