Darrell is committed to passing on the legacy of jazz through education.

"My role as artist/educator has provided a rewarding nexus for my professional life--allowing me to draw on my diverse skills and experiences to connect my students with musical life beyond the classroom, and allowing me the opportunity to be both mentor and example of the multi-faceted life of the modern musician. I have also made it a goal to create synergy between students, institution, and the community at large, and to take a central role in the artistic and civic life of the place I live."

 

Portland State University Darrell joined the faculty of Portland State University's School of Fine and Performing Arts in 1997. As an associate professor in the jazz department, he teaches Applied Jazz Piano, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Arranging, Ear Training, Keyboard Harmony, and coaches Jazz Combos. He also directs the Leroy Vinnegar Jazz Institute, and created the performing venue LV’s Uptown Jazz Club.

Educational Philosophy

Music is to be enjoyed. It is an activity that can reap rewards over a lifetime, and pursuing it should above all be fun.

Resendencies, Clinics & Workshops

Clinics and workshops are an important part of Darrell's educational outreach. An excellent communicator and committed educator, his areas of expertise include piano performance, jazz improvisation, ensemble coaching, and music business topics. Darrell has appeared as a clinician and lecturer in many different venues including:

Artist Residencies
Oregon Coast Music Association, Coos Bay, OR, May 2005
Siskiyou Institute, Ashland, OR, May 2005, May 2007
Tennessee Valley Jazz Association, Huntsville, AL, February 2004

Workshop Presentations

“Crossing the Bridge from Classical to Jazz” presented by Siskiyou Institute, Ashland, OR, October 2003
“The Art of the Jazz Duo” (with Dmitri Matheny) University of Denver
Lakewood High School, Lakewood, CO, January 2004
Caleveras High School, Caleveras, CA, January 2004
University of Alabama in Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, September 2003
University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, September 2003
Berkeley Young Musicians Program, Berkeley, CA, July 2003
Gene Harris Jazz Festival, Boise, ID, January 2004
Portland Youth Jazz Orchestra, Portland, OR, October 2002
Nueva School, San Rafael, CA, February 2002
New Mexico Jazz Workshop, Albuquerque, NM, July 2000
International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) Conference, NY, NY
PSU/Jazz Society of Oregon First Jazz Workshop
Reno Jazz Festival, Reno, NV
Willamette University, Salem, OR,
Mount Hood Jazz Clinic, Portland, OR
Monterey HS, Monterey, CA
The Jazz School, Berkeley, CA
Battleground HS, Battleground, WA
Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY
University of Miami, Miami, FL
New South Wales Conservatorium, Sydney, Australia
Wellington Polytechnic Institute, Wellington, New Zealand
Conservatorium Den Haag, Den Haag, Netherlands
Halifax Jazz Festival, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA