Dr. Maurice Draughn

Biography

Maurice Draughn is a multi-instrumentalist and versatile performer. His musical experiences encompass orchestral work as a harpist with the Detroit Symphony and Detroit Opera Orchestras, as well as serving as a pit musician for touring productions on Broadway in Detroit. Draughn has directed musical productions in a wide range of educational settings, including workshops and residencies at the University of Michigan. His work as an educator spans both stage and classroom, with a focus on choral music and musical theatre. Previously, he served as the director of choral activities at Cass Technical High School in Detroit and was a teaching artist, arranger, and touring music director for the Mosaic Youth Theatre in Detroit. As a faculty member at Wayne State University, Draughn taught an ear training class in piano and directed the WSU Men’s Glee Club. He served as an academic advisor in the Department of Music, contributing to an increase in matriculation rates and aiding in the development and revision of the curriculum for music degree programs. Draughn has appeared on recordings with notable Grammy Award-winning and -nominated jazz, neo-soul, and gospel artists. He is a sought-after arranger and composer, specializing in music for harp and chorus, with a recent composition titled 'Moments' for alto trombone and harp, commissioned and recorded by Kenneth Thompkins, the principal trombonist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, he received the inaugural Arts Educator Award from the College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts at Wayne State University.

Research Interests