Joanne Ma is currently teaching at Sumter High School in Sumter, SC, as one of the Assistant Band Directors as well as the Percussion Director.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Furman University. During that time she had participated in many ensembles, including percussion ensemble, wind ensemble, symphonic band, ictus percussion quintet, and Furman’s marching band, the Paladin Regiment, where she marched Bass Drum for 4 years, with 3 of those years being Bass section leader. She also had the honor of being selected to perform in the music department’s Fall Honors Recital in 2008. In addition, she performs with Furman’s Lakeside Concert band each summer.

Competitively, she had marched 2 years with Palmetto Percussion, first as a charter member in 2007 and then as an age out in 2010 on marimba when the group became PIO Gold Medalists at WGI World Championships . After her age out, she joined the front ensemble of Carolina Gold Drum & Bugle Corps, a DCA Class A corps that has received Class A High Percussion for 3 consecutive seasons, as well as being the 2012 Class A Champions. She was a front ensemble technician for Palmetto Percussion in 2012, and for Wake Forest Independent in 2013.  She had taught front ensembles at various high schools in Upstate, South Carolina. She had studied percussion under the directions of Omar Carmenates, John Beckford, Sean Combes, Justin Mabry, Brad Meyer, and Gordon Hicken. She is a member of NAfME and PAS.