Douglas Detrick

How to Write a Better Bio: Advice for Artists and Musicians

When writing their own biography, some artists remove any trace of individuality from their bios with boring, generic language, while others exaggerate. For example, if you find yourself saying things like you’re “the voice of a generation,” then ...

You Aren’t Who I Expected: A new piece for alto flute, cello and tape

Paul Wolfram and Maria Johnson, of the cello and flute duo Migrations, commissioned a piece from me in 2014, and I wrote a piece that includes pre-recorded audio of me reading a text I wrote for the piece. They perform it tonight in Brooklyn, NY! Here are ...

Beyond Category: The podcast of the PJCE

I’ve been working on an exciting new program for the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, the new jazz music organization for which I’ve been serving as Executive Director for the last two years. I’ve been doing all the production on these ...

August Issue of the Mouthpiece

There are lots of new things happening in my life now. Here’s a bit from the latest issue of The Mouthpiece: I’ve been trying lately to remember what dreams I aspired to as a younger man, because lately I’ve been wondering how I came to be on this ...

May issue of The Mouthpiece

I got my May newsletter sent out on the last day of the month. Whew! I followed up with my friend Emily Isaacson Tzuker, the Director of Choral Activities at Clark University and Artistic Director of the Oratorio Chorale about her life as a mother and an ...

Middle School Jazz Band: A Walk in the Shade

A Walk in the Shade For Middle School Jazz Band By Douglas Detrick, 2014 Solos sections for any brass or saxophone Medium swing, Two- and Four-beat feel Score only or score and parts available as PDF files, both include a MIDI rendering Dedicated to Fred ...

Sama Dams @ Doug Fir

I haven’t been left speechless and breathless by a rock band in a long time. I’ve been following this group, Sam Adams on voice, guitar, and synths, Lisa Adams on voice, keys, and bass, and Chris Hermsen on drums, since they formed a few years ...

Rehearsing in the 21st Century: “Skyping in” from 2,000 miles away

Carrie Winkler, the director of bands from Sheboygan Falls Middle School in Sheboygan, WI asked me if I would be willing to offer some feedback on their peformance of my “A Walk in the Shade” with her jazz band. I was happy to do this, but ...

Black Lives Matter

Black lives matter. I would have hoped that in 2014 we wouldn’t need to say this. But, with the events that have followed the grand jury’s decision to not indict Darren Wilson, I’m convinced, as are so many others, that we do need to say ...

Nate Wooley and Carol Robinson at the Outset Series

I heard Nate Wooley and Carol Robinson perform music by Eliane Radigue at the Creative Music Guild‘s Outset Series tonight, and the gentle, subtle humming and thrumming of the sounds these musicians produced has me feeling very thoughtful. Here are ...