Music | Why?

Don Johns is an in-demand percussion performer and educator in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area. Mr. Johns is principal timpanist of the Apollo Orchestra, and performs with the Soulful Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Mid-Atlantic Symphony, Bay-Atlantic Symphony, and the American Festival Pops Orchestra.  Additionally, Mr. Johns is a member of the Gateways Festival Orchestra and the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra. Mr. Johns is the Director of DMV Percussion Academy,Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Bowie State University, and Percussion Director at Northwestern High School. He holds a Master of Music Degree in Percussion Performance and Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education from the University of Maryland. Don Johns is endorsed by Yamaha, Innovative Percussion, and Black Swamp Percussion, and serves on the Education Committee for the Percussive Arts Society.

https://www.dmvmusicacademy.org/colabfestival

Our guest today is percussionist Sean Daniels from the DMV Music Academy's Co-Lab Music Festival. 

Sean Daniels was born in Chicago, Illinois. He spent most of his youth growing up in Dayton, Ohio where he played in the public school’s concert, marching and stage bands. While attending Alabama State University he developed a love for Jazz music.  He continued studying music at The Ohio State University as well as the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has performed on stage as a drummer with jazz greats Kenny Garrett, Rufus Reid, Tommy Newsome, Lou Rawls and as a vibe player with Carl Allen and others. He received jazz music instruction from Dr. Billy Taylor, Hank Marr, and Ed Saindon just to name a few.  Dr. Daniels currently serves as Timpanist for the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra, an all African American Symphony Orchestra based in Charleston, South Carolina. His recordings are available through I-tunes, amazon and cd baby.

https://www.dmvmusicacademy.org/colabfestival

Anthony Townes is the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Director of Bands at Northwestern High School.  He has held this position since 2000.  Prior to this appointment, he taught in Baltimore City and County Public Schools for ten years.  His bands have received several accolades and superior ratings in symphonic, jazz, marching, and percussion ensembles.  As a performer, he was a touring drum set artist, playing for a variety of R&B groups throughout the 1990s.  He serves as an active leader with the National Band Association.  In February 2019, Mr. Townes and the Northwestern High School VPA Symphonic Band served as the featured ensemble for the Maryland Music Educators Convention in Baltimore, Maryland.

https://www.dmvmusicacademy.org/colabfestival

Our next guest is the director of the percussion academy. Terrell Smith, director of athletic pep bands and faculty member at Mount St. Mary’s University, has enjoyed national and international success as a wind and percussion educator, music adjudicator and performance clinician. Throughout his exciting career, Terrell has been on the instructional staff of several world class drum and bugle corps, which include: The Cadets, Santa Clara Vanguard, Reading Buccaneers, and many other programs representing the elite of DCI and DCA. Before his appointment at the Mount, he served as the assistant director of bands, pep band director and percussion coordinator at Stevenson University and marching percussion coordinator at The University of Maryland. “Mr. Tee” is the current director and program coordinator of the award-winning Thunder Drumline and Thunder Brigade, a DCI/SoundSport and SDCA performance ensemble.

https://www.dmvmusicacademy.org/colabfestival

I’m so excited to be starting a new special mini series of interviews with the faculty and founders of the DMV Music Academy, more specifically the Co-Lab music festival held this year at The REACH at The Kennedy Center. It was thrilling for me to be in the same room with my interview guests for the very first time since creating this podcast. Today we’ll be kick starting with Larry Williams, the founder of the brass academy and a previous podcast interviewee in the episode Music and Community: The 21st Century question.

Horn player Larry Williams has distinguished himself as a multifaceted performing and recording artist, teacher and administrator. Williams currently serves as a horn player for numerous orchestras and as Adjunct Professor of Horn Washington Adventist University as well as Director of the DMV Horn Academy.

https://www.dmvmusicacademy.org/colabfestival

Today I’m very happy to be publishing a conversation with one of my dearest friends that I met whilst we were both pursuing our Master’s Degrees at Arizona State University. Laurana Wheeler Roderer is a violinist and librettist and is now pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts. Laurana has particularly fascinating projects centered on the subject of environmental consciousness and social activism. I love Laurana dearly and find myself in awe of her ideas, her unique story, and marvelously creative talents. Laurana is one of the great artists I’ve met in my life who embodies her “why” so beautifully in everything she executes. Listen in as we both unmask our vulnerabilities and find strength in the empowering endeavor of musical creations.

https://www.sunny-xia.com/bio

Today you will be hearing from my dear friend and exceptional musician and conductor, Sunny Xia. Recognized for her innate musicality, compelling presence, and technical precision, Chinese-born conductor Sunny Xuecong Xia’s ability to forge an immediate and captivating connection with orchestras and audiences alike has led to engagements around the country. Recently appointed Douglas F. King Assistant Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, Xia begins her new position in September 2022. I have had the privilege of working with Sunny for the last two years as she studied conducting with Dr. Jeffrey Meyer at ASU. It’s a rare opportunity to work with such capable, vulnerable people. Sunny is someone that I find has the perfect combination of incredible strength and courage while at the same time cares so deeply about people, about humanity, and about being compassionate, empathetic, and honest. In our conversation, we unveil the wisdom behind Sunny’s outstanding success as a young, female conductor in what has traditionally been a study and career for only men.

I’m here today with Tami Lee Hughes, a female performing artist, violinist, educator, and consultant who understands classical music and diverse communities. She helps general audiences, educators, and students dive into Africlassical music in ways that are accessible and fun. Tami Lee Hughes also helps organizations address challenges associated with diversity in classical music so they can be inclusive and welcoming to everyone. I met Dr. Hughes at a webinar presentation last fall in which we discussed the term Africlassical music in a way that was very meaningful for me at the time. When I reached out to her for the podcast, she was more than happy to accept my invitation. I enjoyed listening to Tami’s perspective, her story, and her well-defined mission: “to present programming that serves all demographics and encourages everyone to engage in a diverse music world.” She helped me realize that for the women of today, one of the best things we can do is create value and opportunity for ourselves within our communities by turning towards our identity and the things that are the most important to us.

Learn more!

Join me for an intimate conversation with illustrious Soprano, Bridget Gan, on the subjects of motherhood and the arts, women’s rights, creative COVID adaptations, community and virtual collaboration, and of course the healing and empowering gift of music.

Learn more about Dr. David Coon and his work through the links below!