Darren Barrett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Darren Barrett
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Darren Barrett, in 2011
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Darren Barrett |
| Genres | Jazz, Pop, Reggae, R&B, Jazz Fusion, Jazz-Funk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, music educator, songwriter, bandleader, music producer, music engineer, photographer, videography |
| Instruments | Trumpet, flugelhorn, EVI |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | JCurve, Nagel Heyer Records, dB Studios |
| Associated acts | dB Quintet, Straight Down the Middle, Trumpet Vibes, dB-ish, Energy In Motion, The EVI Sessions, Jackie McLean Quintet, Roy Hargrove Big Band, Elvin Jones Jazz Machine, D'Angelo, Queen Latifah, Esperanza Spalding, Common, Antonio Hart Quintet, Myron Walden Momentum, Earth Driver |
Darren Barrett is a talented Canadian jazz musician. He won a big award called the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 1997. Today, he teaches music as a professor at Berklee College of Music.
Contents
Darren Barrett's Musical Journey
Early Life and Musical Start
Darren Barrett is a Canadian trumpet player who has won a Grammy Award. His parents were from Jamaica. Darren remembers hearing the famous jazz musician Miles Davis for the first time. He said, "when I heard Miles' sound and approach, I knew that the instrument I wanted to play was the trumpet." This moment made him want to play the trumpet.
College and Advanced Studies
After high school, Darren went to Humber College in Toronto, Ontario. He studied jazz there for a year. He even won an award for playing brass instruments really well. In 1986, Darren Barrett received a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music. He earned his first degree in Professional Music in 1990.
He continued his studies, getting a master's degree in Jazz Performance in 1993. He also earned another master's degree in Music Education in 1995 from Queens College, City University of New York. There, he learned a lot from Dr. Donald Byrd, who became like a mentor to him.
The Thelonious Monk Institute
Darren's plan to get a doctorate degree changed when he joined a special program. This program was the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance. It was held at the New England Conservatory of Music. In 1997, Barrett earned a diploma from the Thelonious Monk Institute. He was part of the very first group of students there.
During his time at the institute, he studied with famous musicians like Barry Harris, Wynton Marsalis, and Clark Terry. He also got to perform with legends such as Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. In 1997, Darren entered and won first place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. This is one of the biggest jazz competitions in the world. Each year, it focuses on a different instrument.
Albums and Performances
Barrett released his first album as a bandleader, First One Up, in 1999. He then released Deelings in 2001 and The Attack of Wren: Wrenaissance Volume 1 in 2004. In 2011, he released A Very Barrett Christmas. More recently, he released Energy In Motion: The Music Of The Bee Gees in 2014. He also released Live And Direct 2014 that same year.
Darren has performed or recorded with many well-known artists. These include Elvin Jones, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock, and the Roy Hargrove Big Band. He has also worked with Common, Will.i.am, Talib Kweli, Esperanza Spalding, and Antonio Hart.
Teaching and Future Goals
Today, Darren Barrett is a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. This is the same college where he studied. He is always working to improve his music and performing skills. He wants to connect with people through his music.
Darren leads many different bands. These bands give him a chance to explore all kinds of music. He wants to keep trying new things with music and the trumpet. This includes using electronics in his live shows. He believes it's important to have great music and a great live performance.
Education and Teachers
Darren Barrett's Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music, 1990
- Master of Arts in Jazz Performance from Queens College, 1993
- Master of Science in Music Education from Queens College, 1995
- Diploma in Jazz Performance from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, 1997
Important Teachers
- Donald Byrd
- William Vacchiano
- William Fielder
- Bill Adam
- Charles Schlueter
- Don Johnson
Awards and Achievements
- Lennie Johnson Scholarship 1987
- Lennie Johnson Scholarship 1988
- Lennie Johnson Scholarship 1989
- Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition 1997 – 1st place
Discography
Albums as a Leader
- First One Up (J Curve Records, 1999)
- Deelings (J Curve Records, 2001)
- The Attack of Wren: Wrenaissance, Volume 1 (Nagel Heyer Records, 2004)
- Darren Barrett A Very Barrett Christmas (dB Studios, 2011)
- Darren Barrett & Energy In Motion The Music Of The Bee Gees (dB Studios, 2014)
- Darren Barrett & dB Quintet, Live And Direct 2014 (dB Studios, 2014)
- Darren Barrett & Trumpet Vibes, Trumpet Vibes (dB Studios, 2015)
- Darren Barrett & Trumpet Vibes, The Music Of Amy Winehouse (dB Studios, 2016)
- Darren Barrett & dB-ish, The Opener (dB Studios, 2017)
- Darren Barrett & Time For Romance, But Beautiful (dB Studios, 2018)
- Darren Barrett & The EVI Sessions, Mr. Steiner (dB Studios, 2019)
Albums as a Sideman
With Elvin Jones
- The Truth: Heard Live at the Blue Note (Half Note, 1999)
- Roy Hargrove Big Band: Emergence (Emarcy, 2009)
- Esperanza Spalding: Radio Music Society (Heads Up International, 2012)
- Myron Walden: Momentum: Our Sound (Demi, 2013)
