He progressed onto the saxophone aged ten,[2] before attending St. Aidan's C of E High School in Preesall near Poulton-le-Fylde,[3] and then onto the Blackpool Sixth Form College, where he starred in their big band.

[4] Whilst living in Northern Ireland Dan also toured with Pop artist Yazz and was active on the small, but vibrant Irish Jazz Scene.

[7] In 2011 Forshaw returned to England, where he joined the King / Cave project, an experimental liturgical group fusing jazz, progressive rock and Anglican liturgy.

Dan also created his own Jazz Vespers project which traces the history of jazz and blue music using readings, poetry and song to tell the story of lament and redemption, this was most notably given at Ely Cathedral in October 2013 [9] and Methodist Central Hall, Westminster as part of Black History Month in October 2014.

[11] In 2015 Dan was part of the critically acclaimed 'Passion - a contemporary journey to the cross' which fused Dance, Poetry and Music which toured six UK cathedrals and appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.