Doug Putt discovered his love for music and began playing the horn at the age of 8. He started private lessons and won his first audition that same year. His plan was always to join the Marine Corps after high school, and in talking to a recruiter, he learned that he could audition to be a Marine Corps bandsman. After winning the audition, he set out for boot camp at age 17, and once all combat training was completed, he attended the Navy School of Music. During his Marine Corps career, Doug participated in hundreds of performances in numerous ensemble types. Ensembles and performance types included: concert bands, brass quintets, marching and parades, military ceremonies, party band, and more.
Within the platoon, Doug was given his first opportunity to try his hand at private instruction. He completed weekly lessons with each section member, where he created practice plans and completed progress evaluations. After completing his enlistment in 2016, Doug wanted to continue teaching and took a part-time job as a horn and trumpet instructor at Mike’s Music. Doug moved to Frederick in March 2020, shortly before the pandemic. He patiently waited for things to open back up and immediately sought out to find opportunities to continue playing. During the 2022 Spring and Fall semesters, he played with the FCC Wind Ensemble, and during the summer, he performed with the Lyric Band of Hanover in Pennsylvania.
Recently, Doug was hired as a brass instructor at Sloan School of Music, where he teaches horn, trumpet, and beginner trombone. He loves teaching students of all ages and skill levels while personalizing instruction for each student based on their goals. Whether the goal is college, All-State, or simply to improve, learn and have fun, Doug gets tremendous satisfaction from helping students reach their goals and having fun during the process.
