Assistant Professor of Music,
Percussion

Michael Sammons currently serves as the Director of Percussion Studies at the University of South Alabama, Director and Arranger for the USA Jag' Drumline, and percussionist with the Mobile Symphony. He is a founding member of Zumbumba, an active percussion trio specializing in music from around the world. Most recently, Zumbumba performed at the 2008 Percussive Arts Society International Convention. In 2007, the trio presented an original composition, Foforo Twene, for timpani and African percussion as part of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention's "Focus Day". Mr. Sammons has performed with orchestras in Florida, Arizona, and Alabama. He appeared as a guest soloist for the Music Educators National Convention, Southern Division Conference in January of 2005 and in 2004, served as a guest performer for the Crested Butte Summer Music Festival in Crested Butte, Colorado.

An active educator and clinician, Mr. Sammons served as Lecturer in Music at Clemson University in 2007-2008. He currently serves as director and co-founder of the Treasure Coast Percussion Camp held in Vero Beach, Florida since 2005. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society and is a contributing author to Percussive Notes. He has served as a clinician and adjudicator throughout Alabama, Florida, Arizona, and Mississippi. In 2006, Mr. Sammons presented a session entitled "New Music for Steel Band" at PASIC in Austin, Texas with the University of Arizona and UT Austin Steel Bands and released the third CD, Panstraction, by the UA Steel Band.

Mr. Sammons completed his doctoral coursework in percussion performance at the University of Arizona, where he served as Graduate Teaching Assistant and Director of the UA Steel Band Program from 2003-2007, and is currently completing his dissertation. He received the 2007 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant award for the UA College of Fine Arts. Mr. Sammons earned the Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Arizona in 2005 and the Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education, with a Performer¹s Certificate, from the University of Florida in 2002. His travels abroad include Trinidad and Ghana, where he conducted research on the traditional music and dance of these cultures.

Michael Sammons is endorsed by Vic Firth, Remo, and Sabian percussion companies.

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