Danny Flores has been a go-getter since growing up in Orlando, Florida, when he played piano in his high school choir and jazz band and his father’s salsa bands, and became music director at his church. But even as Flores built a thriving career as a largely self-taught producer, songwriter, and music director, he knew he was missing a crucial element for success.
“I was always lacking understanding of things like copyright, licensing, and publishing,” said Flores. “I knew how important that was. And nobody could really explain it to me.”
He found the people who could at the Frost School of Music’s Frost Online program, where he earned a master’s in Music Industry in 2022. On his first day of class, he learned about copyright law for compositions and master recordings. After graduation, he found himself clearing music for the Netflix music reality show The Signing, where he was music supervisor. “I was literally doing what I learned at the Frost School, and explaining to the producers that if you use a sample, you need to clear the master and the composition,” said Flores.
The Puerto Rican-born Flores has become one of the Frost School’s most successful alumni in Latin music. Most recently, his production duo Coast City won a 2025 Latin GRAMMY for their work on the hit album “Papota.”
He also stands out for his pride in the program and eagerness to connect with the Frost School whenever he can, like when he brought eight Frost School students in to play in a segment of the 2024 Latin GRAMMY Person of the Year (POTY) gala, for which Flores is music producer and supervisor, for Colombian superstar Carlos Vives.
“I thought ‘this is a way for me to put the Frost School of Music on the map here at the Latin GRAMMYS,’” said Flores. “I love what I do. I’m incredibly grateful to the Frost School, and anytime I can do anything for it, I will.”
Flores was fostered in music by his father, a salsa musician and band director who used his trumpet skills to play in military ceremonies while serving in the army. After graduating from high school in 1997, Flores earned an associate’s degree in piano and vocal performance at Valencia Community College and played in bands at Orlando theme parks, working his way up to performance coach and entertainment manager at attractions like Disney’s The American Idol Experience. He also followed his father into the military, doing a tour in Iraq in 2003. A program at AT&T Wireless, where he worked for a time, paid for him to earn a business degree from the University of Central Florida, and he taught himself music engineering and production.
In 2008, Flores connected with Jean Rodriguez, a singer and producer who is the younger brother of Puerto Rican star Luis Fonsi, known for the megahit “Despacito.” Flores and Rodriguez joined forces as production and artist duo Coast City, creating an adventurous, technically savvy mix of R&B, soul, and Latin music, working with a host of top artists, and making a splash with their self-titled 2018 debut, which earned Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY nominations.
But Flores always wanted to study at the Frost School. “I used to dream of going to the Frost School of Music because of its reputation, and all the amazing musicians who had come out of there,” he said. Sometimes he'd drive by the campus just to admire it. His dream came true when he accepted his diploma in front of his wife and two young sons. “It was incredible,” he said.
Studying here only increased his appreciation. He particularly admires veteran professor Reynaldo Sanchez, a longtime bridge between Frost School students and the music industry, who taught Flores’ copyright law class. “He explains it in a very poetic way, that the laws are there to push creativity forward and to incentivize songwriters and creators,” said Flores. “It was a very special experience.” He also praises interim vice-dean Serona Elton, director of the Music Industry program, as “a pillar in our industry.”
He was proud to work with Frost School triple alumnus Carlos “Carlitos” Lopez, a famed producer and music director who’s worked with Bad Bunny and served as music director for the 2025 Latin GRAMMY POTY gala. “We know the foundation we both come from,” Flores said. “There’s a seriousness, a responsibility that we both have as creators with that degree. We understand what that represents.”
He is thrilled when his career and his Frost School degree come together, like when he met Elton last August at the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation’s scholarship award ceremony at the Knight Center for Music Innovation, for which Flores worked as music director for guest star Elena Rose. “It was a confirmation that the Frost School was always meant to be my home, and that community is exactly where I belong,” Flores said.
