 | Brian's Bio |
Brian J. Harris began playing piano at age five and began formal percussion lessons at age ten. Growing up near Chicago, he played in junior high and high school concert, marching, and jazz bands, as well as with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra during high school. At age fourteen, Brian began his private instruction practice, teaching beginning percussionists in the Oswego, Illinois, school district. After high school, Brian attended the University of Arizona on a full scholarship. He graduated summa cum laude (4.0 grade point average) in three-and-a-half years with a BMA degree, specializing in percussion performance. During his college years, he studied percussion with Gary Cook (Director of Percussion Studies at the U of A School of Music and Dance), Robin Horn (freelance drum set artist), James Ross (Chicago Symphony Orchestra), and Patricia Dash (Chicago Symphony Orchestra). He has also studied privately with Peter Erskine, the world-renowned drummer who has played with the likes of Steely Dan, Stan Kenton, Gary Burton, and Steps Ahead. During his sophomore year at the U of A, Brian won a percussion audition with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. In addition to performing classical repertoire with the orchestra, he was fortunate to play drums and percussion with many guest artists including Bobby McFerrin, John Williams, Henry Mancini, Rosemary Clooney, Neil Sedaka, Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins, Maureen McGovern, The Fifth Dimension, and Doc Severinsen. Through the years, Brian also enjoyed performing with dozens of jazz, rock, heavy metal, funk, classical, Latin, and country acts in Chicago, Tucson, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and London. In 2000, after twelve seasons with the orchestra, Brian retired from performing to spend more time with his son, Patrick, and to focus on developing his teaching methods. Many of Brian’s current and past students have performed with the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra, Tucson Jazz Academy, Jazzwerx, Southern Arizona Honor Band, Arizona All-State Band and Orchestra Festival, Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Symphonic Winds, and the Foothills Philharmonic Orchestra. In recent years, two marimba students have placed second and third in the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition. Some of his students have even gone on to win music scholarship offers from Berklee College of Music, DePaul University, Northern Arizona University, Peabody Conservatory, Rice University, University of Arizona, University of Southern California, University of Portland, and Interlochen Center For the Arts. These students now play and teach professionally in various parts of the U.S., and Brian enjoys hearing about all of their accomplishments! | ||
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Brian J. Harris Method | 1001 East Orange Grove Rd., Tucson, AZ 85718 Phone: (520) 878-0363 | Fax: (520) 844-8166 | Email:
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