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Time:

Wednesday
December, 20, 2017
04:00 PM - 05:00 PM

Location:

Meeting Room W179

Clinician(s)

Damien Crutcher

Damien Crutcher

[email protected]
Kristopher Johnson

Kristopher Johnson

[email protected]

Crescendo Detroit: Building a Quality Arts Program in an Underserved Community

Clinic Synopsis:

Crescendo Detroit is an arts program that is based in a neighborhood in Detroit where a majority of the schools do not offer band, choir, orchestra, dance or in some cases gym. We designed our program combining elements of U.S. Music Education and the El Sistema model in Venezuela. We would like to share with attendees the core values that have worked for us in a sometimes difficult situation.

Damien Crutcher - Biographical Information

Damien Crutcher is a native Detroiter and a graduate of Cass Technical High School. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Michigan State University, where he studied horn with Doug Campbell and conducting with Dr. Ronnie Wooten. Additionally, Mr. Crutcher earned a Master’s in Conducting from The University of Michigan, where he studied with H. Robert Reynolds. After graduating from The University of Michigan, Damien served as Director of Bands and Orchestra at Southfield-Lathrup High School. Under his direction the Southfield-Lathrup ensembles, including the Lathrup Symphony Band have performed in San Francisco, Chicago, the Bahamas, the White House and Carnegie Hall. Many of his students from Southfield Lathrup are currently professional musicians, music teachers and artists across the country. He is currently the co founder and CEO of Crescendo Detroit. Crescendo Detroit is a nonprofit whose mission is to transform the lives of school age children, ages 5-18, in Detroit, by engaging kids in intense instrumental music, vocal music and dance programs that promote artistic excellence and character building. It is the goal of Crescendo Detroit to create a neighborhood to college pipeline using the arts Mr. Crutcher begins his 15th season as the Conductor and Artistic Director of the Farmington Community Band and is a frequent guest conductor and clinician throughout Michigan.

Kristopher Johnson - Biographical Information

Kris Johnson is an award-winning jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator. Currently, Kris Johnson is the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Utah. He has appeared on an impressive list of albums including two Grammy-nominated releases: Tony Bennett’s “A Swingin’ Christmas” and Karen Clark Sheard’s “All In One”. Kris is a trumpeter and arranger with the Count Basie Orchestra. In 2013 he was featured in the standup-comedy film “Make Me Wanna Holla” starring Sinbad. Kris received his master’s (2007) and bachelor’s (2005) degrees in Jazz Studies from Michigan State University. In 2012, Kris received an ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers award and was selected as one of 25 Detroit performing and literary artists to receive a Kresge Artist Fellowship. Mr. Johnson has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious jazz venues including the Apollo Theater, the Blue Note Jazz Club (US and Japan), Sydney Opera House, Blues Alley, and the Hollywood Bowl. He has also had the opportunity to perform with many jazz greats including Tony Bennett, Patti Austin, Wess Anderson, Wycliffe Gordon, Jon Hendricks, Monty Alexander, Christian McBride, Jamie Cullum, and many others. He has recorded on three albums with the Count Basie Orchestra including a 2015 Christmas album with Concord Records that features his arrangement of “Let It Snow” with soloist Ellis Marsalis.

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