When Royal Oak Symphony Orchestra maestro Mark Douglass raises his carbon fiber baton, he isn’t just setting the tempo for the nearly 80 musicians of the orchestra — he’s channeling electricity. As the orchestra kicked off its new concert season last month, Douglass led the ensemble through soft diminuendos and powerful crescendos.
“I’m the one who has the privilege to give the orchestra direction on how to channel their energy,” says Douglass, lecturer of music. “Even now as I think about it, I get chills.”
But that lightweight stick also has a heaviness to it. Not in grams, but in ambition. It reflects the years of study, artistic exploration and experiences that have taken Douglass from his earliest musical interests to concert stages around the world and into a UM-Dearborn classroom.
Douglass, who’s taught at UM-Dearborn since 2023 and has led the ROSO since 2025, teaches music theory, musicology and music production, among other topics at the university. UM-Dearborn offers a minor in music as well as a music concentration in the integrated studies degree program for students to learn about music history and theory.
Douglass says he’s always gravitated toward music. His compositions have been performed internationally in orchestral and choral concerts, recitals, award-winning films and on PBS. As a musician, he has appeared at venues and festivals including Carnegie Hall, the Detroit Jazz Festival and the Bourbon Jazz Festival in Brazil. And he’s shared the stage with Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton and Aretha Franklin, among others.
“I knew I had a place within music, but I wasn’t sure what was possible for me,” says Douglass. “Now that I have a better idea, I want people to know that music has space for all of us — it doesn’t matter where you come from.”
Douglass says his path into music was unconventional. Growing up Black in a predominantly white rural community, his childhood included time in an orphanage, foster care, a boys’ home and a troubled adoptive home.
“I didn’t see people who looked like me in a field that I loved. I didn’t initially have formal training. I did not have the means to get lessons or instruments,” he says. “But what I did have was encouragement from wonderful people over the years.”
So, instead, Douglass forged a path to his favorite expressive outlet with a combination of curiosity, determination and the encouragement of teachers who recognized his potential.
As a middle school student, his band director, Ed Pitrago, provided Douglass with a snare drum for a low cost and gave him lessons outside traditional class time. When Douglass was a young adult, UM-Flint Professor Emerita of Music Lois Alexander became an important mentor while earning his undergraduate degree there; she helped him secure scholarship opportunities and guided him toward a career in music education. And throughout his early musical development, Douglass worked with numerous guest artists and clinicians who recognized his natural abilities and encouraged him to pursue conducting.
“There were times when I felt like an impostor because I didn’t have the background people traditionally associate with classical musicians. But I was fortunate to encounter people who saw my potential rather than focusing on what I lacked. That’s why I believe so strongly in meeting people where they are. You never really know the journey someone has taken to get where they are,” he says. “I think about this all the time with my students. My mentors extended that grace to me and I understand now just how important that was.”
With assistance from scholarships, Douglass went on to graduate from UM-Flint with a degree in vocal and instrumental music. He also has a Master of Music in Performance from the University of Tennessee and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance and Composition from the University of North Texas.
“I worked hard to develop my musicianship, to read charts well and to be comfortable performing in different styles, whether classical music, jazz or popular music,” he says. “There also were times I’ve been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time — but being in the right place doesn’t mean much if you’re not prepared. I emphasize the importance of being prepared for my students.”
Douglass says the people who supported him throughout his education and life remain an important part of how he understands mentorship.
“I’ve met a lot of wonderful people who took a chance on me and changed my life — especially my wife, Emily, and her family, who have known me almost my entire life,” says Douglass, “I had friends who believed in me, including one who encouraged me to audition for the music program at UM-Flint. When there are challenges, remind yourself to look for the light in your life. Our paths and experiences make us who we are.”
But even when others noticed his ability, Douglass says it took years to see it in himself. He says this was, in part, because he didn’t see a large number of classical musical artists who looked like him or shared a similar background. Black conductors make up about 4% of all orchestra conductors in the United States, according to the League of American Orchestras.
“If I had seen someone like me doing what I do, I think I would have had an easier time,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons representation is so important. It’s inspiring to see people who look like you and share similar backgrounds accomplishing goals similar to the ones you have.”
Douglass teaches a dual enrollment UM-Dearborn course that’s tailored for high school students in the Detroit Public Schools. He directs the Hillsdale Arts Chorale. And during the week, he’s often found in his classroom on the fourth floor of the CASL Building.
Douglass’ classes are popular — he can tell by how quickly they fill up — and even his non-music students, such as premed or engineering students, enjoy them. In their semester-end evaluations, students say that Douglass’ classes help them reduce stress and they can return to their primary subjects energized with fresh, different perspectives.
Douglass says music — along with all the humanities — is a way to make space for human understanding. “The humanities can change the way you walk through life. They’ve certainly served as a compass for me. They build a bridge to other cultures and to share your own. They’re a way to experience a variety of perspectives throughout place and time,” he says. “And speaking about here and now, music helps us focus on essential human expression rather than on rigid rules.”
He’s also seen how music brings people together, not only in concert halls and classrooms — but also in his personal life.
As an adult, Douglass found his biological family, who couldn’t raise him due to challenging circumstances and his parents’ young age. On his biological father’s side, Douglass discovered a shared heritage deeply steeped in gospel, piano and vocal traditions. “Whenever we’re together, I play the piano and my dad and my wife sing,” he says, noting one favorite is “Endless Love” by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. “Music is helping us build further connections. I’m grateful for that.”
Douglass knows the power of music and wants to share the harmony experienced through the art form with Dearborn Wolverines. With every lesson in the classroom and each gesture to his orchestra, Douglass doesn’t just set the tempo. He channels the electricity, grace and belonging that changed his own life — ensuring there is always room in music for everyone.
“I want to make sure our students have the opportunity to engage with music no matter their background, circumstances or area of study,” he says. “You never know the impact something will have on your life until you’ve had the opportunity to experience it.”
Story by Sarah Tuxbury
