Richard Boulger, BAAMS Executive Director
Brass Instruments
North Adams native, longtime NYC musical artist and educator, Richard Boulger received the legacy of trumpet playing and teaching from his father, Richard Boulger, Sr. Richard has since spent a lifetime studying the art forms of playing the trumpet and flugelhorn with a ‘Who’s-Who’ list of jazz and musical giants, as well as music composition, and improvisation. Richard is the Founder and Executive Director of BAAMS, and was voted to its Board of Directors as President.
After completing his BFA from The Hartt School of Music’s Jackie Mclean Institute of Jazz at the University of Hartford, and Master’s degree at Rutgers University, Boulger became a long-time private student and protege’ of both Freddie Hubbard and Donald Byrd, and studied musical composition extensively with Ludmila Uhlela (former chair of Contemporary Music, Manhattan School of Music). He also studied trumpet privately with William “Prof” Fielder, Laurie Frink, Jerome Callet, (many others) as well as jazz luminaries Jaki Byard, Charlie Banacos, George Coleman, Walter Bishop, Jr., Richie Beirach, Ben Shwendener, and many others.
Boulger produced numerous albums as a leader and recorded with several diverse Grammy- and award-winning artists such as The Allman Brothers’ Band, Little Louie Vega, “Joe,” Randy Brecker, Steve Davis, Joshua Thompson, and John Hicks. Freddie Hubbard declared, “I am very happy and honored to be a witness to a great trumpet player!”
In addition to his published music education works (Downbeat Magazine, Hal Leonard Publications, Charles Colin Music, etc.) Richard Boulger has taught and consulted with over 25 NYC school music programs, spent a decade teaching his “All-Star Band” at Brownsville’s PS 178 and continues to be an active band clinician and consultant. He is also the founder of the Berkshires’ Summer Jazz Band Day Camp, and teaches private students via Skype and in person in midtown Manhattan as well as at his Williamstown, Mass. teaching studio.