MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

FRANK DERRICK

Drummer, Frank Derrick has led a multifaceted national and international music career. He is a virtuoso performer, composer, author, and educator. His theatrical credits include the Broadway productions of Bubbling Brown Sugar, The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Sophisticated Ladies, Big River, and Catskills. He has also performed with national and international companies of Bubbling Brown Sugar, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Sophisticated Ladies throughout The United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.  He has performed with numerous legends and artists including Redd Foxx, Stephanie Mills, Della Reese, Freda Payne, Maureen McGovern, Eartha Kitt, Eubie Blake, Jack Jones, Buddy Greco, Dorothy Donegan, Finis Henderson, Steve Allen, Joan Rivers, Dakota Staton, Donna Summer, Clint Holmes, Ken Peplowski, Arvell Shaw & The Louis Armstrong Legacy Band, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Woody Herman Orchestra, Keely Smith, The Pointer Sisters, The Platters, Benny Carter, and Ann Hampton Callaway. He was the original drummer for The David Letterman Show on NBC and toured worldwide with the legendary Cab Calloway for ten years.

Frank’s current activities include making appearances with his internationally acclaimed 17 piece big band and quintet. He was the drummer, assistant conductor, & personnel manager of the Palm Beach Pops. Familiar to symphonic audiences throughout the world, he has appeared with the Royal Philharmonic, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the New York Pops, the Naples Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, the Symphony of the Americas, and the Calgary Philharmonic. He has also conducted on the concert stage for Lanie Kazan and John Pizzarelli. Frank also makes regular appearances with Steve Lippia, Avery Sommers, Jill & Rich Switzer, Wayne Hosford among others. His composition Straight Ahead, the band feature number during the 1992 Cab Calloway European tour, garnered the A.S.C.A.P Special Award.

As an educator, Frank served as drum instructor at the Abrons Arts Center at Henry Street Settlement in New York.  In 2012, he was recently appointed Professor of Percussion at Palm Beach State College. Frank is a member of the Drum Set Committee for the Percussive Arts Society and he served as the drum set editor for their magazine Percussive Notes until 2019. He also contributes articles to various music and music educational magazines. In addition Frank makes appearances giving clinics, master classes and artist-in-residence programs. His book, Focus on Technique for Drummers has been an invaluable resource on the market since the 1990s.