Percussionist, Composer, Educator
Bio
A native of South Dakota, Dr. Brett Jones serves as Professor of Percussion and Chair of the Music Department at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. He holds a degree in music education from the University of Colorado as well as a master’s degree and doctorate in percussion performance from Texas Tech University. His primary teachers include Alan Shinn, Lisa Rogers, Doug Walter, Don N. Parker, John R. Beck, and Gene Holter.
Jones has previously served on the music faculty of Texas Tech University and Blinn College. His performance experience includes serving as principal percussionist of the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra and regular performances with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. He has served as a section percussionist for the Black Hills Symphony Orchestra, and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. Jones performs in solo, chamber, and jazz settings in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Jones has performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention and presented at the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and the Wisconsin Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society's Day of Percussion. He has served as clinician and percussion specialist in music festivals and camps in Wisconsin, Texas, and Alaska, and at the Festival Internacional de Inverno in Vale Venuto, Brazil. Jones’ publications include articles in Percussive Notes, The Instrumentalist, and School Band and Orchestra Magazine and compositions available through C. Alan Publications, HoneyRock Publishing, and HaMaR Percussion Publications. He is a proud endorser of Grover Pro Percussion and Salyers Percussion products.
Known as the foremost expert on Robert Kreutz's marimba music, Jones’ research is published in the Online Research Journal of the Percussive Arts Society. He is the primary editor of the republication of Kreutz’s marimba works through HoneyRock Publishing. In 2016, Jones released a 2-CD collection of Kreutz’s marimba music entitled “Western Sketches,” which is available through HoneyRock Publishing. 'Star of the Sea,' an album of his compositions, was released in 2022 and is available for sale and on streaming services. Jones lives in northern Wisconsin with his wife, Meghan and their eight children.