About Jason Currin
Jason Currin began his teaching career in 1995, establishing formal percussion programs at many central Georgia high schools and middle schools. Mr. Currin directs the percussion programs at Fayette County High School and Bennett’s Mill Middle School in Fayetteville, Georgia.
A graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mr. Currin was a member of ensembles at The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory and Boston Conservatory. He was awarded the first grant from the Bryan Oliver Memorial Fund for Outstanding Artistic Achievement and was a winner of The North American Talent Search. At the collegiate level, Mr. Currin created An Evening of Percussion at Mercer University. He was also a co-presenter of Drums and Rhythms of the Dominican Republic with Miguel Castro at the 2000 Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Dallas, Texas. In 2007, Mr. Currin created a brand new forum for percussion in the state of Georgia with Jason Currin’s Ultra Terrific Udu Xylorimba Tom Tom Gong-a-Thon…A Percussion Extravaganza!!!
As a performer, Mr. Currin has appeared around the world: in France and the Netherlands with Live Ambiance, throughout Central Europe with Halfway to Hoboken, and for two European tours as Principle percussionist with MIT Symphony Orchestra. He is featured on many recordings, including ARC Records’ Percussion of the World and the recent Paris Conservatory recording of third-stream duo Halfway to Hoboken. Stateside, Mr. Currin performed as guest percussionist with Boston Musica Viva, a top interpreter of contemporary chamber music, and as Principle percussionist with Soria Chamber Players, where Johnathan Saggau’s percussion concerto Solipsism was commissioned for his performance and world premiere. Currently his playing may be heard on several television shows from the networks of MTV, A&E and CW.
As a composer, Mr. Currin is the recipient of numerous awards and competitions, including first place in the Rivers Music School Composition Contest and runner-up in the international contest held by 20th Century composer Stuart Saunders-Smith. His original works have been performed by world-renowned percussion ensemble, Ethos, LaGuardia School for the Performing Arts, and by several ensembles in Georgia, including Macon Symphony Strings and Saoco World Percussion Ensemble. His work was performed as part of the 23rd Annual Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young. Mr. Currin also has extensive experience with theater and dance companies, including the Boston Conservatory of Dance, and served as staff accompanist for modern dance classes at the Tisch School of Perfomance Arts of New York University.
Under Mr. Currin’s lead, Fayette Middle and Perry Middle School percussion ensembles have performed at the annual Georgia Music Educator’s Association (GMEA) Conference. The Fayette Middle School Percussion Ensemble was honored in their inaugural year as the only middle school to perform at the Grayson High School Percussion Festival and The Georgia Day of Percussion. Mr. Currin’s private students routinely earn college scholarship and are consistently represented at the top levels of All-State and District Honor Bands as well as local and international competitions. As an extension to current curriculum, he is the creator of several workshops and camps, is an active adjudicator for percussion events, band festivals and competitions, and is currently finalizing a series of educational reference manuals for percussion directors and students. Further information may be found at www.JasonCurrin.com and www.PercussionEvents.com.