Johns

Don Johns is an in-demand percussion performer and educator in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area, serving as principal timpanist of the Apollo Orchestra and lead percussionist for Soulful Symphony. An incredibly versatile musician, he has performed with world-class artists like Vanessa Williams and Bootsy Collins, plays with numerous regional orchestras, and is a proud member of the Gateways Festival Orchestra and the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra, both of which spotlight Black classical musicians. His extensive career also includes playing for major musical theatre productions at venues such as the Kennedy Center. Mr. Johns is the Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Bowie State University, a course instructor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and the Percussion Director at Northwestern High School. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at Shenandoah Conservatory, he holds Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Maryland. A leader in the percussion community, he is the President of the Maryland/Delaware Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), serves on the PAS Education Committee, and is an endorsed artist for Innovative Percussion and Black Swamp Percussion.