Darryl Harper ’90 arrived at Amherst with plans to study psychology, but the possibilities of music were more intriguing.
“We can go back to the 17th century, then we can jump to the 19th century, then we can jump to the present day—we can do all of that through music.”
Darryl Harper ’90 arrived at Amherst with plans to study psychology, but the possibilities of music were more intriguing. He majored in music and went on to earn advanced degrees at Rutgers University and the New England Conservatory. Now a jazz clarinetist and composer, he credits Amherst with teaching “skills that are going to serve you no matter what you do.”
Harper is a visiting associate professor of music at Amherst. This fall, he is teaching “Thinking as Improvisation” and “Experiencing Music.”