Check Out Derek Hebert’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Hebert.

Hi Derek, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I wanted to be a teacher from the minute I started school in kindergarten. As soon as I joined the band in 5th grade, I decided I wanted to be a band teacher. After high school, I struggled a lot with coming out and ended up in a completely different field for many years until I finally was able to circle back around, get back into school, and get my music education degree. Shortly after I got the teaching job I still hold and I was appointed the Artistic Director of the Mile High Freedom Bands!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The bumpiest part of my road was coming out in the Deep South. I spent my teenage years terrified for anyone to know anything about who I really was. When I went to college in Baton Rouge and tasted freedom for the first time, it became overwhelming and I struggled to find my place.

Things got really bad for a while where I was evicted from my apartment, lost my job, and had a bad breakup from being in the closet. It was bad enough that I made an attempt to end my life (which was fortunately unsuccessful). That short stretch of time took years and years for me to recover from and get past where I could begin moving forward in life again.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a musician, I’m involved in a number of different musical fields, both in line with my professional credentials and my personal life. I have degrees in music education from CU Boulder and music conducting from Colorado State. My “day job” is as a Middle School & High School band director, my “night job” is as the Artistic Director of a community music organization, and I play and teach on the side.

One of the things I’m most proud of is my tenure as the AD of the Mile High Freedom Bands. MHFB is the only major queer instrumental music organization in Colorado and supports performers in concert bands, jazz bands, marching bands, pep bands, and orchestras. In my time, the organization has flourished – growing exponentially in membership, financials, performance, and public awareness.

We recently hosted the International Pride Bands Alliance annual conference bringing together over 400 queer musicians from all over the world. One piece that I’m incredibly proud of is the formation and growth of our MHFB Youth summer program for queer high school musicians and allies. As one of the only free summer camps for high school musicians and one of the only specifically targeted to the LGBTQ+ community, MHFB Youth is a huge contribution to our community.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
There are a lot of big shifts that are already in progress. Audiences are changing, not just in the nature of who they are but also in how they want and expect to experience content in the arts. Finding new and exciting ways to engage audiences and keep them coming is a continuous challenge. There is also the engagement of performers and participants to ensure that they remain engaged in a world that is constantly shifting how they connect to and respond to media in all formats.

Contact Info:

• Website: MHFB.org
• Instagram: @mhfbdenver
• Facebook: @milehighfreedomband
• Youtube: @MHFBtv