Brian J. Harris

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 has been 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, Bernadette Peters, Marvin Hamlisch, 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 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, the Foothills Philharmonic Orchestra, the Arizona Percussive Arts Society Mass Marimba Ensemble, and the University of Arizona Percussion Ensemble. A handful of students have placed in the Tucson

Check out the PBS News Video (below) which features The Snare Drum Plays The Zoo and Brian's teaching studio. Video playback requires Flash 8 Player or better. Thanks to Sooyeon Lee and KUAT-TV, Tucson, AZ. Copyright ©2004 KUAT Communications All Rights Reserved

Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition as well as the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra Scholarship Competition. Others have been finalists in, and even won, the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

Beyond high school, many of Brian's students have 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. Some can be found playing and teaching professionally around the world.