About the Artist
Doug Pierce, an extremely gifted and talented composer/orchestrator, arranger and trumpeter hails from the motor city; Detroit, Michigan. Detroit is known for having produced some of the finest jazz musicians in the world. During his time in Detroit Doug has had the great opportunity to study with quite a few internationally recognized jazz musicians including Marcus Belgrave, Donald Walden, Rayse Biggs, Jimmy Wilkinson, Larry Smith, Kenneth Cox, Teddy Harris Jr., Russell Green and Herbie Williams.
While at UDC Doug became the second recipient of the Felix E. Grant fellowship award. This award is a very prestigious award not given out regularly and is given solely based on individual talent. lt was under Calvin Jones that Doug was made aware of his incredible and unique composition and arranging abilities. Professor Jones often shared with Doug how his uses of harmonic and melodic tools are reminiscent of the same tools used by Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones and Thad Jones. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies in 1999, fall 2002 Dougenrolled into the Jazz Studies program at Western Michigan University. lt is here that Doug studied with jazz greats such as Trent Kynastyn, Dr. Scott Cowan and Tom Knific. During his time at WMU Doug was awarded the distinct opportunity to participate in a few residency programs including the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead residency in April of 2004. Upon completion of his Masters degree in music spring of 2005 Doug has held educational posts at two very well respected schools of music. From 2005- 2008 Doug was Professor of Jazz Trumpet at The Ohio State University. From 2009- 2O17 Doug was Professor of Jazz Trumpet at his undergraduate alma mater UDC. Along with Doug's educational responsibilities he has also traveled the country in great demand as guest composer and clinician.
Currently Doug leads several musically diverse groups. An exciting jazz quintet and sextet and anew and very exciting jazz orchestra called the "Band of Brothas" where Doug is the Chief Conductor, composer and arranger. The compositions performed by this group show Doug's fundamental understanding of various harmonic traditions, but also displays his uniqueness andoriginality as a composer, orchestrator and arranger.
