Bio : Artists

John Parks : Percussion

John Parks IV, Associate Professor of Percussion at The Florida State University, earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He holds two Master?s degrees from Northwestern University, one each in Percussion Performance and Jazz Pedagogy, and a Bachelor?s degree in Music Education from Furman University. John has studied with Patricia Dash of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, John Beck of the Rochester Philharmonic, Michael Burritt, Paul Wertico, formerly of the Pat Metheny Group, and John Beckford. Parks is an artist/clinician for Pearl Corporation and Adams Musical Instruments, Avedis Zildjian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, Grover Pro Percussion, and Remo. Parks made his Carnegie Hall solo recital debut in Weill Recital Hall in May of 2007, and has performed with diverse performing organizations ranging from the Eastman Wind Ensemble on their 2000 tour of Japan and Taiwan and the Schlossfestspiele Orchestra of Heidelberg, Germany to the Kansas City, Alabama, Key West, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestras. Parks also leads the award-winning FSU Percussion Ensemble, winners of the 2007 Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition, and is a member of the PAS Board of Directors and Symphonic Committee. In addition, he currently serves as the Florida PAS President and Webmaster.