Administration & Faculty Drumming Faculty
Drumming and Percussion Faculty
Taylor Jones, Percussion and Drumming Faculty
Taylor Jones is a percussion and drum instructor. He is a graduate of Emory University, where he studied English Literature and Music. His literary affinities include poetry and protest literature, and he is especially attracted to the visionary in all art forms. Taylor subscribes to the classical perspective which treats lyrical poetry, storytelling, and music as expressions of the same artistic muse. He is interested in all styles of music, especially jazz, indie rock, and electronic. Taylor has held a deep passion for music since his childhood, and when he picked up drumsticks at age twelve, he knew he had found his mode of musical expression. Within a year he was playing services at a local church near his hometown on the outskirts of Nashville, TN. He began playing with rock bands in the Nashville area while his parents helped him get a jazz band organized at his public high school. In high school, Taylor studied rhythm with Andy Smith, who inspired his interest in Latin Jazz and Funk, and performed with the All-Region Jazz Band. During college, Taylor studied Jazz with Dwight Andrews and played in University Jazz combos under the direction of Gary Motley. Since then, Taylor has performed and recorded with a variety of artists and continues to explore music through his own playing and through the development of young drummers.
Keith Leslie, Percussion and Drumming Faculty
Keith Leslie has been living, performing, and teaching in Atlanta for over ten years. As a performer, he has been involved with projects that range stylistically from improvisational music, performance art and avant-garde to jazz, rock, and everything in between. He learned to play "inside" at Florida State University, and he learned to reject those teachings from playing with the likes of local artists Brian Parks, Robert Cheatham, Ben Davis, Roger Ruzow, and Daniel Clay. He is a frequent performer at EyeDrum Art and Music Gallery and has played venues throughout the South East. Currently, Keith is playing with the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra, an ensemble made up of some of Atlanta's most exciting players. In his spare time,composes music for film and video games.