[4] After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with two master's degrees—one of those was in public administration[3]—he first took a job as a social worker in Rochester, New York,[4] and later worked for the state of Pennsylvania.
He learned about the art of storytelling by noticing how folk singer Pete Seeger captivated his audience during a heavy rainstorm at Point State Park in Pittsburgh.
Later, after meeting Seeger at the Second Tennessee Banjo Institute and asking the artist about the intricacies of his method and delivery, he replied, "Dan, you just tell your story".
[6] An accomplished clog dancer,[7] Levenson has performed with Cleveland blues guitarist Bob Frank as part of his Hotfoot Duo.
[3] They live in a farmhouse on an 80 acres (32 ha) homestead in the Appalachian region of Ohio,[2] and keep a winter home in Tucson, Arizona.
[3] Some awards he has received for his work are: Levenson has authored numerous books on fiddle and clawhammer-style banjo playing, along with instructional CDs and videos.