David Ballam was raised in the Philadelphia area and began lessons at age 10 on the double bass at Gladwyne Elementary School  with string orchestra teacher James Bustard.​ As a middle school and high school student, David continued private study with Ben Blazer, David Fay and Henry Scott and performed with the Delaware County Youth Orchestra .

In 2001 David began music study at Wheaton College Conservatory of Music (IL) where he earned bachelors degrees in music performance and music education. Pursuing graduate degrees in music after attending Wheaton, David went on to receive a Masters Degree in String Pedagogy and Peformance from Northwestern University , and a Doctor of Music Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin . David has studied under distinguished teachers such as  Virginia Dixon , DaXun Zhang ,  Peter Lloyd  and has performed in master-classes for noted double bassists:  Tim Cobb , Joseph Guastafeste, Paul Ellison , and Francois Rabbath.
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From 2013-2017 David taught in the  Auburn University Department of Music where he served as instructor of music appreciation and double bass. While living in Alabama, David maintained an active private studio of cello and double bass students. The desire to move back home brought David back to Pennsylvania in 2017.  Since then, David has worked in regional sales for J.W. Pepper & Son, Inc. , known as the world's largest sheet music retailer. Currently, David performs in the Philadelphia suburbs with the  Main Line Symphony  (Valley Forge),  Chesco Pops Orchestra  (West Chester), and  Orchestra Concordia  (Radnor).

David's past professional performing experience includes work with the following orchestras:  Columbus Symphony Orchestra (GA),  LaGrange Symphony Orchestra , Auburn University Community Orchestra,  Austin Symphony Orchestra ,  Austin Opera , Austin Baroque Orchestra   (founding member),  UT Bach Cantata Project , Chorus Austin , Austin Singers,  Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra ,  Dupage Symphony Orchestra , Wheaton Summer Symphony, Skokie Valley Symphony , and the Music Institute of Chicago .  David has also played as a guest soloist with the Northwestern University Summer Orchestra and the Austin Baroque Orchestra .​