Jazz composer Hoagy Carmichael had persuaded Dant—who at that time had his own "Bud Dant Collegians" danceband—to come to IU to study at their School of Music.

The two friends met one day in 1927 at the school's Book Nook restaurant, where Carmichael played the first several bars of a song he had conceived—a jazz chorus.

Dant graduated Indiana and played with big bands of the 1940s in the East Coast, notably Herby Kaye, who was briefly married to Dorothy Lamour, who provided the vocals.

He spent many years composing and conducting the music for radio and TV with such people as Jack Carson, Dennis Day, Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, Bob Hope, Julie Andrews, Cliff Arquette, Phil Harris, Bing Crosby, Hoagy Carmichael, Judy Canova, and more Artists.

While at Decca, Dant also discovered a talented clarinet player at The Lawrence Welk Show, Pete Fountain, and recorded 42 hit albums with him.

He produced albums by Hawaii performers, including music composed by Alex Anderson and songs sung by Alfred Apaka and Melveen Leed.