Darrell Calvillo is an open class solo competitor, band leader, Western United States Pipe Band Association Adjudicator, musical arranger, studio musician, educator, and proprietor of DC Music with over twenty six years of professional experience in the music industry. He is a member of Celtic/World band Silent Planet and also performs as a guest artist with various bands and ensembles such as The Chieftains, Breabach, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the Blue Man Group. In the realm of competition pipe bands, Darrell is currently Pipe Major and Musical Director of the Nicholson Pipes & Drums based in Westminster, California and has previously competed with competition bands in every grade including the James J Coyne memorial Pipe Band, Kevin R. Blandford Memorial Pipe Band, Pasadena Scots, and Prince Charles Pipe Band. In the entertainment industry, Darrell has recently has been featured in recordings and filmings for 5 Seconds of Summer, ABC, Amazon, BBC, Budweiser, California Sound Studios, Capitol Records, CBS, Comedy Central, E!, Guinness, Hulu, Paramount Recording Studios, and TLC.
The passion with making music started for Darrell at age nine when he first learned violin at school. During middle school and high school he performed with the Citrus College Summer Youth Orchestra and Claremont Youth Orchestra. Inspired by Riverdance and Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance, Darrell became interested in Celtic music. Darrell began to learn how to play the pipes with the Glendora High School Pipe Band, receiving formal instruction from Jeffrey Henderson and Colin Armstrong. During his high school years with the Glendora High School Pipe Band, Darrell began to compete in solo competitions, ascending to the Grade 1 level. After high school, Darrell attended Citrus College to study music theory and performance. At Citrus College he began to learn baritone saxophone and performed in various school groups, including the Sierra Wind Symphony, big band, and Latin (salsa and cumbia) ensemble. Darrell transferred to the University of La Verne and earned his Bachelors Degree in Music. These musical foundations in combination with tutelage of pipers Murray Henderson, Ian Whitelaw, Seumas Coyne, and Scott Ruscoe have gifted Darrell with extensive experience in western classical music with specialization in the Celtic genre. For well over two decades Darrell has been a professional music educator, instructing and mentoring individual students, competition and performance bands. including the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes & Drums, Los Angeles County Firefighters Pipes & Drums, and Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums.
The passion with making music started for Darrell at age nine when he first learned violin at school. During middle school and high school he performed with the Citrus College Summer Youth Orchestra and Claremont Youth Orchestra. Inspired by Riverdance and Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance, Darrell became interested in Celtic music. Darrell began to learn how to play the pipes with the Glendora High School Pipe Band, receiving formal instruction from Jeffrey Henderson and Colin Armstrong. During his high school years with the Glendora High School Pipe Band, Darrell began to compete in solo competitions, ascending to the Grade 1 level. After high school, Darrell attended Citrus College to study music theory and performance. At Citrus College he began to learn baritone saxophone and performed in various school groups, including the Sierra Wind Symphony, big band, and Latin (salsa and cumbia) ensemble. Darrell transferred to the University of La Verne and earned his Bachelors Degree in Music. These musical foundations in combination with tutelage of pipers Murray Henderson, Ian Whitelaw, Seumas Coyne, and Scott Ruscoe have gifted Darrell with extensive experience in western classical music with specialization in the Celtic genre. For well over two decades Darrell has been a professional music educator, instructing and mentoring individual students, competition and performance bands. including the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes & Drums, Los Angeles County Firefighters Pipes & Drums, and Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums.
Performance Highlights and Memories
|
|
|
|
|