John Currey, Drums & Percussion
Drum Set - Orchestral Percussion - Timpani - Mallets - Hand Drums
John Currey holds an undergraduate degree in music from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and a master's degree in percussion performance from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he taught for more than sixteen years for the Conservatory's Community Music & Dance Academy. In addition to his directing duties with Marimba Sol de Chiapas marimba band and his World Worship Music suite of ensembles, John was an Original Cast Member for KC Union Station’s Sticks of Thunder, is percussionist for Kansas City Brassworks, he plays cajon and percussion for the Flamenco dance and music ensemble FlamenKCMO, is a member of Tri-Percussion, he plays drums/percussion for Ensemble Iberica, is timbalero/percussionist for Cubanisms salsa band, and is drummer for classic country's Slim Hanson and the Poor Choices.
John's diverse musical explorations has resulted in performances with Caribbean Steel, Candice Hill, and Caribbean Heart steel pan bands; Flamenco performances with Guitar Virtuosos Antonio Andrade and Miguel Sotelo, Siento y Vivo Flamenco, Flamenco Mío, Flamenco de los Barrios, and Olé Music and Dance of Spain; popular music/cover band performances including with The Pepper Sprouts, Malpractice, Valentine and the Ticklers, and Elton Dan and the Rocket Band; west-african hand drumming performances with Djembefala Sekou Tepakalunda Conde, Zanzibar, Echoes of Africa, and Djama; performances with Broken String, Steve Gray Band, The Grand Marquis, and Tyrone Clark Trio in the Jazz/Latin Jazz world; and more.
Classical performance highlights include with the Kansas City Symphony, newEar contemporary chamber ensemble, Kansas City Ballet Orchestra, Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, nationally-touring productions of Broadway's Evita and Ragtime, the American Ballet Theatre, Czech National Orchestra, and two years as Principal Timpanist for the Western Slope Music Festival in Crested Butte, Colorado, where he toured with the Kansas City Brass.
Mr. Currey is a Modern Dance Accompanist with over 25 years of accompaniment experience. His hand drumming has been featured with the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey's outreach programs and AileyCamps, the Kansas City Ballet School Summer Intensives, the Westport Ballet, as a musician performer for City In Motion's 'A Modern Night at the Folly' and in numerous Modern Dance Master Classes, including for members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Ten Hairy Legs, Diavolo, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Deeply Rooted; with dance greats David Parsons, Leni Wylliams, Denise Jefferson, Edgar Anido, Cleo Parker Robinson, Troy Powell, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, and others. John's dance music commissions include as a co-composer for the Wylliams/Henry Dance Company, and as composer and musician performer for Suzanne Ryan Strati's 'A Tulip Unfolding' dance suite. John accompanies Modern dance classes at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance and for the Kansas City Ballet School.
John presented at and arranged percussion for the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians’ 2001 Biennial National Conference, and teaching credits include Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa, Calvary Bible College, Pittsburg State University, as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at UMKC, as facilitator of WWM Drum Circles, and as an Artist Educator with Kansas City Young Audiences. His marimba and djembe resources are published by MUSICA JOROCU.
For more information, bookings, and lessons, please contact:
John Currey, Percussionist
816-225-3888
EMAIL
MUSICAJOROCU@yahoo.com
