• Ableton Certified Trainer
• Pyramind Online Instructor
• Educational Advantage Instructor
• XO Professional Brass Trombone Artist
• Active Member of JEN Jazz Education Network
• Active Member of ITA International Trombone Association
Darren Kramer has been a professional musician for over 30 years working as a full-time freelance trombonist, pianist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator throughout the globe. He achieved virtually every accolade as a trombonist while growing up in Colorado, including every possible All-State group – grades 9-12 – and the prestigious McDonald’s All-American High School Jazz Band with which he did three exclusive tours to Honolulu, Chicago/Boston, and the Jerry Lewis Telethon in Las Vegas to end his senior year. Kramer then attended the University of Miami and freelanced with south Florida salsa bands, plus a summer in Orlando for the 1990 Walt Disney World All-American Collegiate Orchestra. He has also lived and worked extensively in Las Vegas, NYC and Denver, interspersed with several cruise ship contracts to exotic locales such as Asia, Australia, Mediterranean Sea and the Caribbean. He has toured internationally with Rob Thomas rock band Matchbox Twenty, superstar Tom Jones, the legendary Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, as well as Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies Broadway Tour directed by Mercer Ellington. Kramer has performed with dozens of celebrities and has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman and VH-1 Storytellers. Kramer is an XO Trombone Professional Brass Artist and founded his own music company in 1998 – DKO The Darren Kramer Organization – whose inspiring concerts, educational clinics, exceptional recordings, and numerous sheet music arrangements have helped modernize the trombone and expand its role in contemporary music. His DKO CDs feature varied artists such as Michael Brecker, Eric Marienthal, Rick Margitza, Jerry Hey and Gary Willis. In addition, Kramer has now created a new niche for himself as an Electric Trombone DJ – DJ DKO – and his latest project Beyond The Boneyard is a groundbreaking CD and live performance cutting-edge innovation that pushes the boundaries of the typical trombone stereotype and that of the traditional DJ. Kramer is an Ableton Certified Trainer and is focused on embracing their latest technology for his solo DJ DKO project by incorporating the Ableton Push controller into his setup and using Ableton Link for wireless connectivity during his show. His technical proficiency is also clearly evident as co-founder and CEO of TheGigEasy, a company he started and ran from 2010-16 in order to simplify the transition to tablet computers for musicians by providing complete music solutions for iPad, including hardware iPad mounts and a pdf music reader app. Now in 2016, as Kramer predicts the subscription streaming service model to be the new education paradigm, he has added DKO Lessons to his DKO brand in order to share his vast knowledge of trombone, jazz & music technology with musicians worldwide.
Hear, Meet or Work with Darren LIVE in person!
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Upcoming Live Events
Founder & CEO: DKO Lessons 2016-Present
DKOLessons.com
Ableton Certified Trainer 2016-Present
Ableton.com
Co-Founder & CEO: TheGigEasy Complete Music Solutions for iPad 2010-2016
TheGigEasy.com
Founder: DJ DKO Electric Trombone DJ 2008-Present
ElectricTrombone.com
• “Beyond The Boneyard” CD 2012
Founder & CEO: DKO The Darren Kramer Organization 1998-Present
DarrenKramer.Org
• Concerts, Festivals, Clubs throughout Colorado plus 2005 IAJE Conference in Long Beach, CA
• Educational Masterclasses as a soloist/clinician and with his DKO 8pc Band
• 5 DKO CDs with all music comp, arr, produced by Darren Kramer Rad Remark Music ASCAP
• DKO Sheet Music of over 50 published Big Band & Small Group Arrangements plus Commissions
iPad & Music Technology Clinician/Lecturer 2008-Present
• NAMM, JEN, CMEA, ITF, IAJE, TI:ME, ATMI plus dozens of schools in USA (elementary thru college)
University of Denver Jazz Faculty 2002-2007
• Member of Jazz Faculty Ensemble – Directed by Malcolm Lynn Baker
• Jazz Trombone Professor
• Student Jazz Combos Instructor
• Songwriting & CD Production Classes
International Tours
• Matchbox Twenty – Produced by Matthew Serletic 2000-2001
• Tom Jones – Musical Director Brian Monroney 1999-2000
• Tommy Dorsey Orchestra – Directed by Buddy Morrow 1998
• Sophisticated Ladies Broadway European Tour – Directed by Mercer Ellington 1990 & 1992
Television Shows
• Latin Grammys Marc Anthony “Person of the Year” Event @ MGM Grand Garden Las Vegas 2016
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 2001
• The Late Show with David Letterman 2001
• VH-1 Storytellers “Matchbox Twenty” 2001
• The Rosie O’Donnell Show 2001
• Michael Parkinson Show (UK) 2000
• VH-1 Men Strike Back 2000
• Jerry Lewis Telethon 1987
• The Today Show 1986
Recorded and/or Performed
Michael Brecker, Eric Marienthal, Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, Dizzy Gillespie, Rob Thomas, Natalie Cole, Barry Manilow, Josh Groban, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Frankie Valli, Tom Jones, Big Head Todd, Matt Morris, Steve Lippia, Clark Terry, Rich Matteson, Mercer Ellington, Randy Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Rick Margitza, Gary Willis, Claudio Roditi, Rosemary Clooney, Maureen McGovern, Bob McGrath, Bill Conti, Patrick Williams, Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns, Lon Bronson Band, Clarence Clemmons, Eddie Santiago, Joe Piscopo, University of Miami Concert Jazz Band, Walt Disney World All-American Collegiate Orchestra, McDonald’s All-American High School Jazz Band, Gene Aitken, Vaclav Nelhybel, Alfred Reed, John Paynter, Col. Arnald D. Gabriel, and David Lockington
Studied
Charles Campbell, John Daley, Paul Naslund, Michael Powell, Bill Watrous, Jiggs Whigham, Conrad Herwig, Tom Garling, Whit Sidener, Gary Lindsay, UM Jazz Faculty, Clark Terry-Rich Matteson Jazz Camps
Jazz Festival Adjudicator / Clinician 2001-Present
• Hundreds of schools and jazz festivals in USA including Reno, UNC/Greeley, Lionel Hampton, etc.
Freelance Musician 1984-Present
• Denver 1984-1987, 2001-Present
• New York City 1998-1999
• Las Vegas 1993-1997
• Miami 1987-1992
Cruise Ship Musician 1988-2014
• Azamara Journey – Show Band Trombonist 2014 – Mediterranean
• Norwegian M/S Majesty – Show Band Trombonist 1999 – Caribbean, Mexico
• Holland America Maasdam – Solo Pianist 1997-1998 – Mediterranean, Caribbean, Panama Canal
• Norwegian S/S Norway – Show Band Bandleader/Trombonist 1997 – Caribbean, Mexico
• Crystal Cruises Asuka – Show Band Trombonist 1992-1993 – Japan, Asia, Australia
• Norwegian M/S Skyward – Show Band Trombonist 1988 – Caribbean
• Norwegian S/S Norway – Show Band Trombonist 1988 – Caribbean
Aspen Music School 1992
• Festival Orchestra
• Brass Quintet “L’Histoire du Soldat” – Directed by Steve Dibner
• Honor Jazz Ensemble – Directed by Ted Piltzecker
• Studied with Michael Powell of the American Brass Quintet
Walt Disney World All-American Collegiate Orchestra Program 1990
Directed by Jim Christensen
• Orlando EPCOT Center American Pavilion
University of Miami Bachelor Degree: Double Major 1987-1992
• Studio Music & Jazz – CJB Concert Jazz Band Directed by Whit Sidener
• Classical Performance – Trombone Professor Charles Campbell
McDonald’s All-American High School Jazz Band 1987
Directed by Bob Curnow
• Las Vegas Jerry Lewis Telethon
• Chicago Jazz Showcase
• Milwaukee Summerfest
• Boston Faneuil Hall
• Honolulu Hawaii Tour
McDonald’s All-American High School Marching Band 1986
Directed by Dr. William Foster
• Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade
• Phoenix Fiesta Bowl Parade
• Chicago Orchestra Hall
• Chicago Thanksgiving Parade
• NYC Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
• NBC Today Show
Clark Terry-Rich Matteson Jazz Camps 1984-1990
Camp Director Bob Montgomery
• Emporia KS 1984-85
• Edmond OK 1987
• Telluride CO 1986-87
• Boulder CO 1990
Arny Johnson Modernaires 1984-87
• 9pc Glenn Miller Style Dance Band
• Began Professional Gigs at 14 Yrs Old
• Consisted of local band directors and performed at area VFW Halls & Elks Lodges
Colorado High School Honor Bands 1984-87
• Winner Longmont Symphony Concerto Competition
• Channel 4 News “Youth On The Move” Award
• All-State Band 1986-1987
• All-State Orchestra 1985-1987
• All-State Jazz Band 1984-1987
• DYAO Denver Young Artists Orchestra 1985-1987
• Colorado Honor Band Association 1982-1987
• St. Vrain Valley District Honor Band 1984-1987
• CU Honor Band 1984-1987
• CSU Honor Band 1985-1987