About
Doug Bratt
Chicago-area percussionist and educator Doug Bratt has performed at international festivals including Jazz à Vienne, North Sea, and Montreux, as well as top local venues such as Chicago's Jazz Showcase, Fitzgerald's Nightclub, Evanston SPACE, the Green Mill, and Millennium Park. Over the course of his career, he has performed with a wide range of artists, including Stephen Stills, Dan Nimmer, Tatum Langley, Douglas Stone, Stuart Mindeman, JoAnn Daugherty, Liam Teague, Ryan Shultz, and Victor Garcia. Active in musical theater work, Bratt has served as drummer and percussionist for the award-winning York High School Drama program in Elmhurst, Illinois, since 2018. Additional performances include Music Theater Works' production of CATS (2026), Under the Streetlamp's nationally televised PBS special (2013), and regular substitute work in the Chicago professional theater scene. Bratt is a founding member of the Chicagoland Jazz Educators Big Band. In 2006, Bratt and saxophonist Douglas Stone co-founded the Stone Bratt Big Band. Their debut album, Stone Bratt Big Band (2008), can be found streaming on Apple Music and Spotify, and their live concert video, Reunion! (2022), is available on YouTube.
Bratt has served as a clinician/visiting artist at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, DePaul University, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Missouri, Truman State University, VanderCook College of Music, and numerous K–12 programs throughout Illinois. Other invited appearances include guest directing the 2023 Southwest Suburban Conference Honors Jazz Ensemble, the 2022 ILMEA District 1 Junior Jazz Ensemble, and the 2021 District 8 Senior Jazz Ensemble. Additionally, Bratt has presented sessions at the Illinois Music Education Conference (IMEC) in 2014, 2023, 2024, and 2026, and twice served as a panelist for the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in 2012 and 2017. In 2017, he directed the Moraine Valley Percussion Ensemble in a featured performance at IMEC. Bratt is also a member of the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Co-Curricular Hall of Fame.
Professional Affiliations & gear that inspires
Moraine Valley Community College
Percussive Arts Society
Chicago Federation of Musicians
Balter Mallets
Remo
INDē Percussion
press and support
Powerful, rock-steady, and perfectly attuned to his fellow players.
Doug has a reputation of being an outstanding music educator ... he was great with our students and ... we would love to work with him again.
A blue-chip drummer.
Doug has been one of our featured Elk Grove Percussion Festival clinicians every year. He is both inspiring and engaging with the students, attributing to the festival's 20 years of success.
Doug's drum set playing has inspired me to perform at the highest levels of personal creativity and musicality … and has especially made my original compositions and arrangements come alive!
Doug has the perfect mix of expertise and warm personality that instantly makes everyone around him comfortable, both musically and personally. His depth as a musician and pedagogue is proven by his ability to teach or play with anyone at ANY level.
Doug Bratt is a fierce talent and puts in the work behind the scenes to support any project. He is gifted, kind, collaborative and a rock star both on and off the stage. He is simply magical.
Powerful, rock-steady, and perfectly attuned to his fellow players.
Doug has a reputation of being an outstanding music educator ... he was great with our students and ... we would love to work with him again.
A blue-chip drummer.
Doug has been one of our featured Elk Grove Percussion Festival clinicians every year. He is both inspiring and engaging with the students, attributing to the festival's 20 years of success.
Doug's drum set playing has inspired me to perform at the highest levels of personal creativity and musicality … and has especially made my original compositions and arrangements come alive!
Doug has the perfect mix of expertise and warm personality that instantly makes everyone around him comfortable, both musically and personally. His depth as a musician and pedagogue is proven by his ability to teach or play with anyone at ANY level.
Doug Bratt is a fierce talent and puts in the work behind the scenes to support any project. He is gifted, kind, collaborative and a rock star both on and off the stage. He is simply magical.
Sights & Sounds
Watch
Listen
Monk Needn't Mean You
Se Resta
Rain as Grace
And It's You
Stone Bratt Big Band
Schedule
study and create With Doug
Teaching.Performing. Creating.
Whether you're a percussion student, a music director, or a producer — Doug brings the same passion and dedication to every role.
Teaching
Applied percussion instruction for intermediate to advanced players covering drum set, keyboard percussion, rudimental and concert percussion, and more.
Live Performance
Available for jazz big bands & small groups, contemporary rock/pop, musical theater orchestras, corporate events, and special occasions.
Session Work
Studio recording across jazz, popular music, and theatrical genres. Professional quality, on time, every time.
Let's Connect
Get in Touch
Whether you're looking to study percussion, collaborate musically, or a book a band — reach out and let's talk.
performing & Recording
Use the form to inquire about performances, sessions, or booking one of Doug's groups.
study music at MORAINE VALLEY
For Moraine Valley Community College music program information, including performing ensembles and applied percussion lesson information, contact Doug directly by email.
Moraine Valley Music Ensembles