Midcoast School Of Music offers personalized lesson plans and one-on-one instruction with some of the finest musicians in New England, focusing on mechanics, theory, and performance. Below, you’ll see the instructors available for bass lessons and have a chance to learn more about them. For more information regarding available lesson times at either of our campuses, please fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Derrick Ramos
Derrick Ramos began his musical voyage as a saxophonist at the age of nine. As a child, introduced to funk, jazz, fusion, and early hip-hop albums of artists such as: James Brown, Dexter Gordon, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and the Sugar Hill Gang, by his parents, Derrick grew an appreciation for vinyl records. Derrick graduated from Westbrook High School in Westbrook, Maine, where he played saxophone for the school’s combo and jazz ensemble. As a teen, he chose the turntables to learn to play as a second instrument.
Prior to attending Berklee College of Music at the age of 18 to pursue saxophone performance, Derrick had been scratching (physical manipulation of an existing sound on a vinyl record in varying patterns to produce musical tones and rhythms) at parties and basement jam sessions. While at Berklee, he met fellow turntablists who showed the same passion for scratching/mixing records. Joining forces with fellow DJs, under the guidance of Professor Stephen Webber, a leading authority on turntable education, Derrick helped to promote and showcase turntablism at Berklee. His involvement in the Berklee turntable ensemble and the creation of the turntable club was influential in the addition of the Turntable Technique course in the spring of 2004. Berklee is the world’s first music college to incorporate the study of turntablism into its curriculum.
During his high school career, Derrick won several high school jazz festival woodwind awards, including the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival Outstanding Musicianship Award for Woodwinds in 2001 and 2003. From 2000-2003 Derrick was one of five saxophonists chosen as a member of the Maine High School All-Star Jazz Band, which opened for word-class musicians such as Dave Brubeck, Cleo Lane & Johnny Dankworth, and Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for the annual Maine Jazz Festival.
Derrick’s Dj performances have included work for Miss Maine’s Teen Pageant for the Miss United States Organization, and Macy’s back to school fashion presentation. He was also a featured DJ for one of Boston’s monthly dance nights, The After School Special. Derrick has performed and recorded through out the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Philippines. He has toured with Spiritual Rez, a Boston based, nationally touring reggae/funk band. His ability to play a wide range of music has led him to perform and share the stage with legendary musician Bernie Worrell (best known for work with Parliament-Funkadelic and Talking Heads). Derrick combines his background in jazz/traditional music theory and extensive performing experience with turntables to create an insightful and unique way to share the art of turntablism.
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