John W. Parks IV
Florida State University - United States

Overview

John W. Parks IV, assistant Professor of Percussion at The Florida State University since Fall of 2003, earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He holds two Master’s degrees from Northwestern University, one each in Percussion Performance and Jazz Pedagogy, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Furman University. John has studied with Patricia Dash of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, John Beck of the Rochester Philharmonic, Michael Burritt, Paul Wertico, formerly of the Pat Metheny Group, and John Beckford. Parks is an artist/clinician for Pearl Corporation and Adams Musical Instruments, Avedis Zildjian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, Grover Pro Percussion, and Remo.

Parks made his Carnegie Hall solo recital debut in Weill Recital Hall in May of 2007, and has performed with diverse performing organizations ranging from the Eastman Wind Ensemble on their 2000 tour of Japan and Taiwan and the Schlossfestspiele Orchestra of Heidelberg, Germany to the Kansas City, Alabama, Key West, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestras. Of his recent performances of the Schwantner Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra, critic Stephen Hicken of the Tallahassee Democrat wrote: “In addition to his extraordinary playing, he has a commanding stage presence that won over the audience as well as the orchestra. He deserved the raucous and prolonged ovation he received from the large audience.” Parks also leads the award-winning FSU Percussion Ensemble, winners of the 2007 Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition.

John has appeared as a performer/clinician on National Public Radio, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, Percussive Arts Society International Conventions, NACWPI, and state MENC conventions, in addition to PAS Days of Percussion and guest artist residencies across the United States. He is an active scholar as well, having published articles in Percussive Notes, the Zildjian Educator, and Innovative Percussion Online. Parks’ first compact disc, Dusk: Percussion Music from the Heartland, consisting of brand-new commissioned percussion ensemble and solo works, was released in August of 2004, and recently he was nominated and selected as a winner of a university-wide FSU Teaching Award for the 2005-2006 school year.