Damien Crutcher is the founder of Crescendo Detroit and the conductor of the Farmington Community Band, Civic Concert Band, and the Detroit Community Concert Band. He joins the show to share the stories of the remarkable people in his life and the decisions to help make his home city of Detroit an even better better musical place.

Topics:

• Damien’s early story growing up in Detroit including going to the legendary Cass Technical High School and meeting a horn teacher that changed the course of his career.
• The story of why Damien decided to become a music teacher and how he ended up at Michigan State for his undergraduate.
• How an act of kindness from a graduate student at Michigan State helped Damien become a better conductor.
• Studying with H. Robert Reynolds at the University of Michigan and the lessons that he learned.
• How the decisions to not pursue a doctorate and to leave his high school job ultimately found the remarkable Crescendo Detroit.
• Damien’s ensembles.

Links:

• Damien Crutcher
• Crescendo Detroit
• Farmington Community Band
• Detroit Symphony Civic Youth Ensembles

Biography:

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, and a Master’s in Conducting from The University of Michigan. Damien studied horn with Bryan Kennedy and Doug Campbell and Conducting with Dr. Ronnie Wooten and Profesor 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 who’s 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.

Damien is a frequent quest conductor and clinician throughout Michigan and Ohio and also serves as the conductor of the Farmington Community Band. Damien is in his third season as conductor of the Civic Concert Band and the Detroit Community Concert Band. 

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