Artist Bios

David Mitchell (Bristol, TN) Founder and Director

Dr. David Mitchell is an active music educator, percussionist, performer, and adjudicator. He is currently Assistant Professor of Music and Music Coordinator at King University, where he oversees the music department and teaches various courses, ensembles, and percussion lessons. He is the founder and director of the East Tennessee Percussion Group. Previously, he was Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Polk State College. He was the assistant director of the Southeastern University drumline where he worked closely with Brian Blume in the percussion department. Mitchell was also a previous instructor at East Tennessee State University and Science Hill High School. Mitchell was a featured soloist at a PASIC Showcase Concert in 2016. Mitchell was recently the principal percussionist for the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra, a supplementary percussionist for the Orlando Philharmonic, and he regularly performed with the Orlando-based contemporary chamber ensemble, Alterity Orchestra. He was formerly principal percussionist for the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra. 

Mitchell completed his DMA at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He received a BM at East Tennessee State University and a MM at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is proud to endorse Black Swamp Percussion, Innovative Percussion, Majestic, Mapex, and SABIAN. For more information about David Mitchell, visit: www.davidmitchellpercussion.com.

Logan Ball (Johnson City, TN)

Dr. Logan Ball is a percussionist and educator residing in Johnson City, TN. Logan serves as Senior Lecturer of Percussion at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and is also the Marching Percussion Director. His duties include teaching and writing for the Marching Buccaneer Drumline, co-directing the ETSU Percussion Ensemble, teaching Applied Percussion, Percussion Methods, and co-teaching Percussion Literature and Percussion Pedagogy.

Logan’s percussion arrangements have been featured at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention's (PASIC) Marching Percussion Festival. As a passionate member of the Percussive Arts Society’s New Music / Research Committee, he has been involved in commissioning and premiering new works by Mark Applebaum, Russell Wharton, Evan Chapman, Paul Lansky, Dave Maric, Shruthi Rajesekar, Molly Joyce, Juri Seo, Jennifer Jolley, and others. Logan is also a member of PAS’s Diversity Alliance.

Logan recently performed with The Bang on a Can All-Stars at the Big Ears Festival on the U.S. premiere of Michael Gordon's Big Space. At this festival, Logan also performed with Nief-Norf on the first production of the live film score for a documentary entitled Brimstone & Glory. Logan is a founding member of the contemporary percussion quartet Odd River. Their clinic and performance tour appearances include the Chicago International Movies and Music Festival (CIMM Fest), VanderCook School of Music, Kutztown University, Tennessee Tech University, the University of Tennessee, and other venues throughout Chicago.

Logan earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro, a Master of Music degree at the University of Tennessee, and a Bachelor of Music degree from ETSU in Johnson City, Tennessee. Logan is proud to have the unwavering support of Innovative Percussion, Black Swamp Percussion, and Pearl/Adams. Logan recently served a term as Secretary of the Tennessee Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, the College Music Society, and Pi Kappa Lambda.

Mickey Burmer (Kingsport, TN)

Andy Holmes is the band director at Marion Senior High School in Marion, VA. Holmes was named the 2025 Virginia Regional Teacher of the Year for Region 7, which encompasses the far western portion of the state.

According to Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons, “Mr. Holmes has transformed the band program into a vibrant part of both Marion Middle School and Marion Senior High School.”

Holmes’ passion for serving others through leadership, as well as his love for creating quality music, inspired Holmes to pursue a career in music education. During his first year of teaching at Marion Senior High School, the Scarlet Hurricane Band received multiple awards at every marching competition in which they competed. They also received the highest possible rating at Concert Assessment in the spring of 2023, a feat not achieved at Marion Senior High School since 2012. His students’ accomplishments since his arrival have increased enthusiasm and support for the band program at the school and in the community.

In his role as an educator, Holmes believes part of his responsibility is preparing students for life after graduation and showing them as early as possible that serving others is one of the best ways to add meaning to their life. He established a band culture that enables student leadership and encourages students to have the same high expectations for themselves that he has for them. Holmes arrives over an hour early every day to provide his students an opportunity to practice their instruments. The self-guided, student-centered structure of morning practice allows for highly differentiated instruction, teaches students to be independent learners and leaders, and creates an environment where comradery can flourish.

Holmes is an active member of the Virginia Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education, the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association, and the Percussive Arts Society. He supports the creation and performance of band music with both the State Line Wind Symphony and the Winds of the Mountain Empire, community bands that allow local performers and composers to continue their craft after graduation.

Holmes received his bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he studied with Dr. Andy Bliss.

Michael King (Johnson City, TN)

Mr. Michael King serves as one of the directors at Tennessee Middle School, as well as assisting at Tennessee High School.

Mr. Michael King holds a Bachelors of Music degree in Instrumental Performance, with a focus in percussion. Mr.King also holds a Masters of Teaching degree from East Tennessee State University.

He has served as the Director of Percussion previously from 2015 to 2019 at Tennessee High School, and has taught as a band director for two years in Carter County, Tennessee.

He is a member of the National Association for Music Education and the East Tennessee State Band and Orchestra Association.

Cassidy Lester (Johnson City, TN)

Cassidy Lester is the Executive Director for Symphony of the Mountains. She is a percussionist, educator, and arts advocate from Kingsport, TN. Since 2021, she has been on percussion staff with the East Tennessee State University Marching Buccaneers who performed at the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Previously, she was an Adjunct Professor at Northeast State Community College, as well as the Director of Jazz Ensembles and Assistant Director of Percussion at Elizabethton High School. Cassidy currently serves as the Vice President for the Tennessee Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society and is a member of the PAS Diversity Alliance and PAS Leadership Academy.

Cassidy recently presented her clinic "Reshaping the Narrative: Building a Gender-Inclusive Future for Performers and Teachers," at the 2025 KMEA Professional Development Conference. In 2023, she presented “She Can Drum Too: Encouraging Gender Inclusion” at the 64th Annual TMEA Music Education Conference. She also presented “Forward, but Not Fast Enough: An Update on the Underwhelming Progress of Female inclusion in Percussion” at the 2022 National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy. Her presentations focused on research from her 2020 thesis titled, Whence Comes the Lady Percussionist? The Changing Role of Females in Professional Percussion Positions in the United States, 2011-2020.

Cassidy performs regularly with Symphony of the Mountains, Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, and other regional ensembles. She is a graduate of East Tennessee State University where she received a Master’s degree in Business Administration, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance.

Diana Loomer (Johnson City, TN)

Dr. Diana Loomer is an active percussionist and music educator, currently teaching and performing in the Western NC and Eastern TN areas.  In addition to her private lesson studio, she is the director of the "Steely Pan Steel Band" at Appalachian State University, and is also a percussion instructor at Milligan University. As her main creative outlet, Diana has developed a passion for "Melodic Timpani" playing. She is currently working to expand both the potential of the instrument, as well as the repertoire for this field. 

Diana has performing experience in many different areas of percussion from all over the world. In addition to her orchestral background, she also has an extensive background in Non-Western percussion, including steel pan, tabla, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and West African percussion. She regularly teaches and performs with her steel pan duo, Blue Iron Percussion.

Carrie Mitchell (Bristol, TN)

Before becoming the Director of Bands at THS, Mrs. Mitchell was the band director at Haines City High School, in Haines City Fl from 2017-2024. From 2014-2017, she was the Director of Bands at Surgoinsville Middle School, Church Hill Middle School, and the Assistant Director at Volunteer High School. She began her teaching career as the Director of Bands at Ashe County High School, in West Jefferson NC where she taught from 2012-2014. 

Marching and concert bands under her leadership have consistently earned superior ratings. During her tenure at Haines City High School, Mrs. Mitchell’s recruitment efforts doubled her band numbers, and the band earned straight superior ratings and advanced to state level music performance for the first time in fourteen years. Mrs. Mitchell has students participate in district and state level honor bands, and her students consistently earn superior ratings at district and state level solo and ensemble events. 

Mrs. Mitchell graduated from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Bachelor’s in Music Education and a Master’s in Music Education. She is a member of the NAFME, TMEA, ETSBOA, TBA, and PAS. 

Mrs. Mitchell loves spending time with her family, Dr. David Mitchell and their two children, Lily and Lincoln.

Lawrence Rucker (Bristol, TN)

Lawrence Rucker is a dedicated percussion director based in the Northeast Region of Tennessee. Mr. Rucker is currently the Director of Percussion for Tri Cities Christian Academy Schools. He is the owner and lead educator at Lawrence Rucker Music Instruction, a private studio where he teaches students across the Tri-Cities area.

With extensive experience in music education, Mr. Rucker has worked with numerous schools throughout his career, including West Ridge High School, Sullivan Heights Middle School, Sullivan County Schools, Bristol City Schools, David Crockett High School, Daniel Boone High School, and Cloudland High School.

Mr. Rucker brings valuable performance experience, having marched with Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps and Platinum Drum and Bugle Corps. He is an alumnus of East Tennessee State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree. While at ETSU, he served as tenor drum section leader for the Marching Bucs in 2015 and returned in 2016 as the percussion intern instructor. He also is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity where he had the privilege to serve as  President of the Lambda Sigma chapter during his time at ETSU. 

Beyond his teaching and performance roles, Mr. Rucker is an active member of the music ministry at Central Baptist Church, where he serves on the worship team and in the orchestra. Mr. Rucker is currently a member of the Percussive Arts Society. He also is an active member of the Salyers Percussion Education Team. Mr. Rucker is also a performing member of the East Tennessee Percussion Ensemble Group that presents percussion concerts throughout the Tri-Cities area.

Christian Swafford (Johnson City, TN)

Dr. Christian Swafford is an artist and educator with a diverse percussion performance background. He has a particular interest in collaborative musical projects as well as promoting and performing new works for percussion. His passion for interdisciplinary collaboration is evidenced by his experience performing and researching within a wide array of disciplines—from orchestral and experimental music to neuroscience, world percussion, and dance.

Christian has performed nationally at the Big Ears Festival on three separate occasions — two of which are featured in Rolling Stone and the New York Times — alongside artists such as Harold Budd as a performing member of Nief-Norf. He has performed at the Percussive Arts Society’s International Convention for a New Literature showcase in 2015 and an IPEC showcase in 2018 with the University of Tennessee Percussion Ensemble. Most recently, he has performed in Laborie, Saint Lucia as part of the Laborie Steel Pan Workshop.

Christian has directed and instructed several concert and marching ensembles in the southeast, including time as Snare Drum Technician and Battery Coordinator in the WGI PIW circuit and as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the University of Tennessee Pride of the Southland Marching Band. More recently, he taught with KMEA 2023 State Champion Lafayette High School. Christian’s students have performed with the Bluecoats, Carolina Crown, Spirit of Atlanta, Music City Mystique, and Rhythm X.

During his time in Kentucky, Christian played regularly as a section percussionist with the Lexington Philharmonic, taught privately at Central Music Academy, and served as an Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Eastern Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky.

Christian’s research in applying neuroscience to percussion pedagogy has led to significant insights in the realm of complex coordination. His passion for improving learning outcomes through the implementation of scientific research informs his cutting-edge approach to teaching and practice.

Christian currently serves as the coordinator of the percussion area at East Tennessee State University and as principal percussionist with the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Kentucky, and he received both his Master of Music and Bachelor of Music in Education degrees at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His drumset teachers include Keith Brown and Paul Deatherage, and his primary percussion teachers include James B. Campbell and Dr. Andrew Bliss.

Morgan Tao (Johnson City, TN)

Morgan Tao is currently a freelance performer and teacher in several programs across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. He has a M.M. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he was a Teaching Assistant and taught the UT Steel Band. He holds a B.A. in Music Studies with a performance certificate from the University of Texas at Austin.

Morgan has an extensive background in education and marching arts, having taught and given master classes all over the greater Austin area. He was a member of the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps from 2015-16. He has instructed many front ensembles including Travis High School, LBJ High School, McCallum High School, Alvin High School, and McNeil High School.

Morgan has a passion for chamber music, both in teaching percussion ensembles and also performing. He is a founding member of the Cue Percussion Quartet, based in Knoxville, TN, as well as the Left/Right Percussion Quartet in Austin, TX. 

In addition to his classical percussion background, Morgan has an eclectic passion for world music. He devoted the majority of a summer  to studying gyil, the West African xylophone, and West African drum and dance in Ghana. He has been a member of Austin Samba, the world’s largest samba school outside of Brazil, and currently is a member of Zabumba Asheville Samba in NC. He has also performed regularly with "The Pans of Texas", and the Inside Out Community Steelband in Austin, TX.

Tanner Underwood (Abingdon, VA)

Tanner Underwood is the Adjunct Instructor of Percussion at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, where he teaches and coordinates the Percussion program. As a performer, Tanner has recently performed with Symphony of the Mountains, Winds of the Mountain Empire, and Cave Run Symphony Orchestra along with many other groups in the past.

Tanner holds a Bachelor of Music from East Tennessee State University and a Master of Music from Morehead State University. He has studied with Dr. Rande Sanderbeck, Dr. Logan Ball, Dr. David Mitchell, Dr. Ben Cantrell, and Dr. Brian Mason. In addition to his duties at UVA Wise, Tanner also is the Teaching Assistant - Director of Percussion at Sullivan East Middle School and High School.

Dave Whaley (Elizabethton, TN)