John R. Harris received a Bachelor’s degree in music performance from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. His major teachers were John Kasica and Richard Holmes, both members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Prior to his conservatory years, John attended the University of Kentucky where he was a student of David Davenport. He has also studied with Tom Vanarsdel, former percussion instructor at Murray State University. John received a Master’s degree in music performance from the University of Iowa as a teaching assistant of Thomas L. Davis. John is the former Principal Percussionist of the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Lincoln Symphony Orchestras as well as the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra. He has also been a member of the Omaha, Paducah, Lexington, Sioux Falls and Sioux City Symphony Orchestras as well as an extra with the Louisville Orchestra. John has taught percussion on the collegiate level at Iowa State University, The University of South Dakota, Simpson College, Central College, Grinnell College, Coe College, Kirkwood Community College, Cornell College and Dana College. John has taught percussion on the high school level at Cedar Rapids Jefferson(IA), Lincoln East(NE), Sioux Falls Lincoln(SD), and La Vergne, Glencliff and Franklin High Schools in Tennessee. He is currently percussion consultant at Central Hardin, Larue County and Louisville Butler High Schools in Kentucky and Paoli High School in Indiana. John was involved in the drum and bugle corps activity from 1987-1990 as an instructor for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps from Dubuque, Iowa and the Emerald Knights Drum and Bugle Corps from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. John currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky and is pursuing a career as a free-lance percussionist.